A 29-year-old man from Lusaka’s Misisi Compound has earned praise from members of the public and the Zambia Police Service after returning a lost phone during the just-ended 97th Agricultural and Commercial Show.
Samuel Banda, a small-scale businessman, stumbled on the phone, a Tecno Spark 30 worth K2,500, while enjoying a live performance by hip-hop giant Slap Dee at the entertainment arena and immediately handed it over to police.
Banda, recalled how it happened saying, as people pushed and danced, he stepped on something unusual and that is the moment he became the unofficial guardian of someone’s gadget.
“I was watching Slap Dee perform. It was crowded, and I was being pushed back. I felt something underfoot, and when I looked down, I saw a phone lying on the ground. That’s how I picked it up and went straight to the police stand,” he said.
While some, from a certain part of the country would say lesa tapela, atambikafye and raise their hands in thanking their ancestors for unexpected blessings, Banda calmly picked up the phone and walked it over to the police stand.
The phone belonged to Joyce Banda, a resident of Makeni Villa, who had unknowingly dropped it during the event and only discovered the phone was missing after the show had ended.
Moments later, Joyce tried calling her number with a heavy heart, expecting the usual ‘phone switched off’ heartbreak.
But this time, someone actually answered.
To her surprise, the call was answered, and she was instructed to meet the caller at the Zambia Police stand inside the showgrounds.
Overwhelmed with joy and disbelief, Joyce rushed to the stand and was reunited with her phone still in one piece, with all her selfies intact.
“I felt weak and very disappointed in myself. That phone holds so much of my personal information,” she said.
Joyce was reunited with her phone and thanked Banda for his integrity and honesty, noting that in most cases lost phones are never recovered.
The Zambia Police Service commended Banda for his exemplary conduct, stating that such acts promote trust, community responsibility and safety during public events.
Authorities further urged members of the public to emulate Banda’s actions and continue working with law enforcement to maintain order and uphold ethical behaviour.
So next time you drop your phone at a crowded event, pray that someone like Samuel is the one who steps on it.
By George Musonda
Kalemba August 5, 2025
