10/08/2026
Four face 5-year jail term for illegal possession of 'ZAWA's' last born, "The Pangolin"
FOUR people, including two women, have been convicted by the Lusaka Magistrate's Court for illegally possessing a live pangolin, one of Zambia's protected wildlife species.
The four — Lutangu Namushi, Nawa Pelekelo, Abigail Sitali and Melody Mangala — were convicted on July 28, 2026, by Magistrate Mutinta Mweemba Mwenya for Illegal Possession of a Protected Animal, contrary to Section 130(1)(2) of the Zambia Wildlife Act No. 14 of 2015.
The matter dates back to February 1, 2026, when officers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, acting on intelligence, mounted an operation at Novare Mall along Great North Road in Lusaka.
During the operation, an informant working with the officers posed as a potential buyer and engaged the four in a transaction involving a live pangolin.
The officers intercepted the suspects and recovered the animal, weighing approximately seven kilogrammes, concealed inside a blue laptop bag.
Investigations established that the pangolin had been sourced from Kalabo, while the suspects could not produce a certificate of ownership authorising them to possess the protected animal.
As the case proceeded, investigators uncovered further evidence linking the four to the pangolin.
Forensic extraction from their mobile phones recovered deleted photographs and videos showing the animal.
The material was dated January 30, 2026, just days before the suspects were apprehended at the mall.
Expert evidence also confirmed that the animal was a pangolin, a protected species listed under Statutory Instrument No. 42 of 2016.
The State, through National Prosecution Authority prosecutor Siamasona, argued that the evidence established joint possession of the animal by the four accused.
According to the National Prosecutions Authority, the court rejected the defence that the suspects had gone to Novare Mall merely to collect a SIM card following a funeral, describing their explanation as contradictory and an afterthought.
After considering the evidence, the court found the State's case proved beyond the required standard and convicted all four.
The four now face a mandatory prison sentence of not less than five years, without the option of a fine, under the applicable wildlife law.
The pangolin — sometimes affectionately described by wildlife conservationists as the world's only mammal covered in scales — remains among Zambia's protected wildlife and is heavily targeted by illegal wildlife traders.
©TV Yatu | August 9, 2026.
