By 
Former Kabushi lawmaker, Bowman Lusambo, turned his court session into a dramatic showdown on Monday, abruptly firing his legal team mid-proceedings and opting to represent himself.
Lusambo dismissed his lawyers, Counsel Charles Changano and Nkula Botha of Makebi Zulu Advocates, citing a lack of privacy in their communications.
Taking center stage, he then challenged the State’s decision to transfer him from Lusaka Central Prison (Chimbokaila) to Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, arguing the move was unlawful.
“By law, a person serving a four-year sentence should not be placed in a maximum-security facility,” Lusambo told Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili.
He expressed frustration over restricted access to his lawyers, alleging a prison officer was always stationed beside him, limiting their ability to strategise freely.
“This is a case between me and the State, yet my conversations with my lawyers are monitored by State security. I risk revealing crucial defense details to the same authorities prosecuting me,” he protested.
Lusambo also highlighted difficulties in mounting his defense, claiming crucial documents remained inaccessible, with some still pending from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
He added that he needed to coordinate with people outside Lusaka to gather key materials.
Earlier, his former lawyer, Charles Changano, had requested an adjournment due to health reasons, stating, “I am not feeling well and have been referred to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital.”
However, Magistrate Chibwili was unconvinced, ruling that “the reasons given by the defense do not amount to special and compelling grounds.”
He rejected the adjournment request but later granted Lusambo a one-day delay, noting a pattern of last-minute legal maneuvers aimed at delaying proceedings.
“This court sees through these tactics. However, I will allow an adjournment until tomorrow,” the magistrate warned.
State prosecutor, Chawezi Nalwenga, opposed Lusambo’s claims, dismissing them as a ploy to protract the case.
He argued that justice must be served not just for the accused but for society as well.
Despite the legal drama, Lusambo remained defiant, accusing the State of misleading the court and insisting on his right to better legal conditions.
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