LUNGU HAS TWO NRC NUMBERS, COURT TOLD

25 JULY 2019

A state witness has told the Lusska magistrate that president Edgar Lungu has two NRC numbers.

And another state witness says he can’t tell whether the current president is the same person who added the name ‘Chagwa’ to Edgar Lungu.

And a third government witness has told the court that Lungu’s admission letter to UNZA was addressed to someone called ‘M Lungu’ to which defence lawyers say ‘M’ stands for Mutaware.

This is in the ongoing trial of labour Party president Fraser Siwale. Siwale is being persecuted for saying that Mr Lungu is not a Zambian but a foreigner born near Mount Mlanje in Nyansaland. Siwale asserts that the current president of Zambia’ s real name is Mutaware Lungu.

Agness Musonda, a registrar at the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship testified that she received a letter from the Inspector General of Police requesting verification of two National Registration Card (NRC) numbers which belong to president Lungu.

But the government witness tried to explain that the second NRC was given to president Lungu when he added the name ‘Chagwa’ to his NRC. She said the first one was 216992/67/1 and the second one was NRC number 652489/11/1.

“I provided this information to the Zambia Police through the office of the Inspector General…on November, 18 1986 Lungu Edgar added Chagwa to the name and the changes were recorded at the back of the records as is the case when someone changes, or loses a card. And as of today, the records show Edgar Chagwa Lungu on NRC number 216992/67/1,” she said.

This is clearly not true. When you get a replacement of your NRC, the number does not change. It’s probably the most important and distinct detail of the NRC.

Meanwhile, Government printers Gazette editor Philemon Kapukanya told the court that someone called Edgar Lungu advertised for the inclusion of ‘Chagwa’ to his name.
But when challenged by defence lawyers, Kapukanya said the advert had no photos and that some documents were destroyed so he could not ascertain which Edgar Lungu applied for the changes. He said this is very true especially that there could be many other people called Edgar Lungu.

And UNZA Registrar Sitali Wamundila told the court that Edgar Lungu’s admission letter to UNZA contained errors on the name. The letter was addressed to ‘M Lungu’ which the lawyers said ‘M’ stood for Mutaware.

But Wamundila who was not even yet in primary school when these things happened said the ‘M’ stood for Mister.