By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
TRIAL in which folk musician Shadrick Mukenge, alias Mumba Yachi, is charged with illegally staying in Zambia yesterday failed to open because his lawyers have allegedly abandoned him.
Lusaka magistrate Rachael Kapulo, however, expressed disappointment at the conduct of the lawyers from Mwenye and Mwitwa Advocates for abandoning a client without following the procedure of informing the court either verbally or through a notice.
Mumba informed the court when he was asked why his previous lawyers were not before the court that “It’s about financial issues.”
Another lawyer Kasumpa Kabalata, however, placed herself on record to represent the musician Pro bono.
When the matter came up for commencement of trial yesterday, the State told the court that it was ready for trial with a witness from Mokambo border post.
But Ms Kabalata told the court that as Mumba’s new defence lawyer, she was not ready as she only received instructions on Friday and, as such, she did not have enough time to confer with her client.
Ms Kabalata requested for seven days to enable her confer with Mumba but the State objected on grounds that Mumba had ample time to engage a lawyer of his choice from October 18, 2017 when the matter came up for mention.
The State further submitted that it was not fair for Mumba to apply for an adjournment of the matter when its witness had travelled all the way from Mokambo border post.
In her ruling, Ms Kapulo said she was not happy with the conduct of Mumba’s first lawyers who decided not to appear in court.
Ms Kapulo said if the lawyers were no longer interested in representing Mumba, they should have informed the court through a notice or verbally.
She, however, allowed the adjournment of the case to October 10, 2017 for commencement of trial.
Mumba is charged with three counts.
He is alleged to have entered Zambia through Mokambo and continued to stay without a valid permit or authority from the Immigration Department.
Mukonge is also accused of willfully and with intent to deceive given false information to a public officer for purposes of obtaining a Zambian green national registration card number 405730/10/1 by alleging that his parents were Zambians  when in fact not.
The accused is also alleged to have willfully and with intent to deceive and for purposes of obtaining a Zambian passport number ZN550035 did make a false statement to a passport officer that his father and mother were Zambian citizens when in fact not.