Lusambo sues chief Nkana over $105,000 unpaid bill
INCARCERATED former Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has sued Chief Nkana of the Lamba people of Lufwanyama district, demanding payment of US$105,000 from the proceeds of sale of Bismark mining.
Lusambo in a statement of claim filed at the Lusaka High Court stated that he was actively involved in the facilitation and investment processes relating to the sale of Bismark Mining Limited.
He said chief Nkana received the full sale proceeds in respect of the Bismark Mine transaction.
Lusambo submitted that between 2021 and 2022, Lusambo facilitated negotiations and invested substantial resources into legal and commercial efforts aimed at the resolution and ultimate sale of Bismark Mining Limited, which was later sold to Grizzly Mining Limited through its chairman, Ndiaye Abdoulaye (popularly known as Gunnase).
He said following the successful disposal of the mine and resolution of associated legal disputes, Grizzly Mining Limited, at the request of the defendant, agreed to release a portion of the remaining sale proceeds totalling US$ 165,000.
Lusambo said the money was then distributed among three persons, as follows: chief Nkana got US$30,000, chieftainess Malembeka US$50,000 and he got US$105,000.
“The defendant authored and submitted a letter addressed to Grizzly Mining Limited expressly confirming and instructing that the plaintiff was entitled to the sum of US$105,000 as part of the sale proceeds.”
“The said letter constitutes a clear and unequivocal acknowledgment of the Plaintiff’s entitlement,” he said.
Lusambo said contrary to the letter of instruction, the entire sum of US$ 165,000 was transferred by Grizzly Mining Limited into the defendant’s personal bank account.
“Following the transfer, the defendant’s account was temporarily frozen by the Anti- Corruption Commission for unrelated investigations,” he said.
However, the said funds were released and made available to the defendant in 2025 after the conclusion of the investigations.
“Upon learning that the funds were cleared, the plaintiff immediately demanded payment of his share of US$ 105,000 from the defendant, who initially exhibited reluctance and later denied the plaintiff’s entitlement,” Lusambo submitted.
Lusambo said on or about June 24 2025, through his duly appointed legal practitioners, Messrs. Makebi Zulu Advocates, issued a formal demand letter to the defendant, demanding remittance of the amount due.
“The defendant failed to respond and has since refused to remit the funds.”
“As a result of the defendant’s failure to honour the acknowledged obligation, the plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer financial loss, deprivation of property, and undue hardship,” read the document.
Lusambo said as a result of the matters set out above and by reason of the defendant’s failure to honour his obligation, he has suffered loss and damage.
He is therefore claiming the payment of US$105,000 being the amount due from the proceeds of sale of Bismark Mining Limited.
Lusambo also claims an interlocutory injunction to freeze accounts, stay waste, damage or alienation of properties by the defendant or its agents or otherwise howsoever.
By Lucy Phiri
Kalemba August 2, 2025
Lusambo these are the facts that you should have brought to the courts as a source of money or wealth. You would not be hiding in a the roof of your house.
Either way this sounds like unpaid source of funds. And when you are paid ZRA will want their share. Withholding taxes. How many such transactions did you not pay Withholding taxes?
And you want to say Zambia is poor when ba PF were evading taxes?
This now ties up with the collosal amount in forex found in Chief Nkana’s account.
So what right does Chief Nkana have to sell mining rights or mines when EVEN the land rights. He holds in trust on behalf of the people in his chiefdom.
Ba Dickson Jere and Isaac Mwanza this are classic cases that require the adjudication of the courts.
When these chiefs sell land like in this case, people in the chiefdom are moved and asked to leave. Do these chiefs pay them from the sale proceeds? Or these people now become a problem of the state when they are unemployed and live in squallor because the Chiefs have pocketed and can not be held accountable for selling land that they only hold in “trust”.
The Chiefs live lavishly with members of their families while the real owners of the land; and I need to make a distinction traditional land in this case, live like popers.
A public interest case. Ba Human Rights seek funding to engage as a Public interest matter.
We have riots in Chingola as the youth have no skills, jobs yet a chief is sitting on millions of dollars. And the finger is being pointed at the wrong people for disenfranchising the youth.
Iwe Binwell Mpundu, instead of the foolishness you demonstrate. Here is an issue you have chosen to bury, and its happening under your nose.
So these are the types of deals you were making while serving as minister. Now we know why some people such as grizzly mining were favored while you get a kickback of $105000.