In a quest for Facebook fame, a Chimwemwe man in Kitwe has ended up behind bars after using his bundles not to apply for jobs, but to sponsor his way straight to police cells by defacing a newly introduced K5 coin and calling it fake.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18pZytr7Pz/?mibextid=oFDknk
Michael Tembo, 27, of House Number 7770 in Chimwemwe, Kitwe, has been arrested and charged for malicious damage to property after he tore apart a newly minted K5 coin, called it gonga (fake), and uploaded the evidence on Facebook for the world and the police to see.
Between April 13 and 14, Tembo, recorded a video of himself peeling the coin like a boiled egg.
The video was posted on his page, Michael Zee11, but instead of getting famous, he got likes from the Police and a free ride to Kitwe Central Police Station.
According to Zambia Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, the authority did not find the situation humorous, warning that damaging currency is not just a minor offense but a threat to the country’s financial stability.
“Damaging or defacing legal tender is a serious offense punishable by law. The public is urged to respect our currency and refrain from acts that can cause unnecessary alarm,” Hamoonga stated.
The coin breaker is now slapped with charges under the Bank of Zambia Act No. 5 of 2022, which forbids the defacing or damaging of legal tender.
By George Musonda
Kalemba May 15, 2025
