THE irregular “gifting” of 22 Zambia Revenue Authority-owned vehicles to PF and its sympathisers has cost Kingsley Chanda his freedom.
Yesterday, the Lusaka Magistrates Court handed Chanda six years in with hard labor while his co-accused and former ZRA Director of Administration, Callistus Kaoma, who was sentenced to nine years.
Lusaka Diocese Archbishop Alick Banda was one of the beneficiaries of the said vehicles, according to testimonies that came during trial.
As judgement came up yesterday, Chandq arrived clad in sleek blue suit calmly settled down to hear his fate.
But what began with faint smiles soon gave way to a look of disbelief and worry as the six-year jail sentence imposed on him for failing to follow procedures in the disposal of ZRA vehicles was read aloud.
Chanda, visibly shaken, told the court during his testimony that he had never authorized the disposal of any vehicles, insisting that such approvals were strictly the prerogative of the ZRA board. Yet, evidence presented by Sitali Mulozi, a former administration manager at ZRA, described by Magistrate Sylvia Muyinya as an “accomplice witness,” revealed a different story.
Mulozi testified that vehicles initially listed for internal staff tenders were deliberately removed and instead handed over to the then-ruling PF party for election campaigns, using ZRA employees’ personal details to facilitate the transactions.
The court heard detailed accounts of procedural breaches. One witness, former temporal Emily Banda, revealed she received a motor vehicle as a gift valued at K35,000 from Kaoma, who allegedly directed her to pay only 12,000 , despite her not qualifying for the auction.
ZRA security supervisor Emmanuel Moyo also testified that on September 18, 2018, he was instructed to release six vehicles including a Toyota Hilux, four Mitsubishi Pajeros, and a Nissan Navara—under a single name, a clear violation of ZRA auction rules. Despite raising concerns, Moyo complied under Kaoma’s authoritative directives.
The court’s ruling was meticulous, detailing how several vehicles were disposed of without board approval, excluded from public advertisement, and allocated irregularly.
While Chanda was convicted on three counts, Kaoma faced convictions on multiple counts.
In mitigation, Chanda pleaded for leniency, highlighting his family responsibilities, including caring for an ailing mother, and emphasizing his long career in public service. He expressed regret, asserting that his decisions were made in what he believed to be the institution’s interest.
He was found guilty in three of the 22 counts while Kaoma guilty in 16 counts.
Kalemba October 7, 2025
