PETRONELLA KAFUMBE: THE LAWYER BEHIND ZAMBIA’S MOST TALKED-ABOUT CASES

PETRONELLA KAFUMBE: THE LAWYER BEHIND ZAMBIA’S MOST TALKED-ABOUT CASES

Petronella Kafumbe is a lawyer and family woman who pursued her Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) at the National Institute for Public Administration (NIPA) between 2014 and 2017. Link to Facebook post

Counsel Kafumbe joined the Legal Aid Board in 2017 and was admitted to the Zambian Bar in 2023—a milestone that was widely celebrated. She was later transferred to Petauke, Eastern Province.

Before her transfer, Kafumbe notably represented Tie Mwape, a popular grandfather who was arrested and prosecuted for being in possession of 68 grams of marijuana. Initially, Mwape had pleaded guilty to the charge. However, when Kafumbe and her colleague learned of the matter, they swiftly intervened, leading to a change of plea from guilty to not guilty. Mwape was ultimately acquitted.

In another case, Kafumbe secured a suspended sentence for a Cavendish University student, Habiba Tembo, who was charged with child stealing—an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. Tembo, 23, had initially pleaded not guilty. Following Kafumbe’s involvement, she changed her plea to guilty. The case involved the abduction of a six-year-old boy. Tembo served her sentence outside prison under counseling for a year.

Kafumbe also made headlines for securing an acquittal for a couple charged with assault after they were accused of beating a woman found bathing with charms outside their house around 01:00 hours.

In another high-profile case, Kafumbe represented a priest involved in an inquest to determine the cause of death of a woman who had visited him. A coroner later ruled that the woman had died of natural causes, and the priest was cleared of any wrongdoing.

In the present matter, Kafumbe is representing Waza Lungu, an intern doctor at Maina Soko Medical Centre, who is accused of raping T.B., a patient admitted to the hospital. Dr. Lungu has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is scheduled to commence in May this year.

Credit: TV Yatu