4 in court for assaulting journalists

4 in court for assaulting journalists
By Namatama Mundia
Tue 20 Dec. 2011, 13:56 CAT

LUSAKA magistrate Faides Hamaundu yesterday ordered that an accused person in a case where two journalists were assaulted should appear before her on December 22, 2011 without fail.

This is in a case in which Nyambe Liwakala, 37, an information technician of House No. K150 Kanyama, Muzala Kazungula, 37, a businessman of Kaoma and Kalenga Kayene,35, a driver of 612 Kanyama are charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

On the first count, it is alleged that Liwakala, Kazungula and Kayene on December 1, 2011, in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together assaulted Richard Mulonga, a photojournalist from the Times of Zambia, thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.

Allegations on the second count are that the trio on the same date in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together assaulted Mabvuto Phiri, a managing editor from Muvi television, thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.

The case came for allocation before chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda, who allocated it to Hamaundu's court for plea.

However, the trio could not take plea due to the absence of the third accused person.

A public prosecutor told magistrate Hamaundu that the third accused person Kayene was not before court.

But a lawyer representing the accused persons explained that Kayene did not manage, at short notice, to travel to Kaoma, where he was attending to a pressing business programme.

He said Kayene was only informed on Sunday that he was supposed to be in court yesterday.

The lawyer said Kayene last week appeared before magistrate Banda with the two other accused persons but the case could not take off because the docket was not ready.

And magistrate Hamaundu said she would give Kayene the benefit of the doubt but ordered that he appear before court when the case comes up on December 22 for plea.

On the material day, former labour minister Austin Liato's relatives harassed and beat up journalists who went to cover a case at the Lusaka Magistrates' Court Complex, where he appeared over the K2.1 billion unearthed from his farm.

Liato's relatives beat up journalists as the former minister, who had been granted K50 million cash bail, was being led to the holding cells while waiting to be released from police custody.

Some relatives hurled insults at journalists for taking pictures of their relative.

Post photojournalist Joseph Mwenda, who was the first victim, had his 1D Mark 4 Canon digital camera broken by the unruly relatives, who slapped him in the face and pushed him away from the direction Liato was coming from.