CHANDA

By JOHNPAUL MPUNDU and PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE-
THREE people died on the spot after the Toyota Noah vehicle they were travelling in overturned after a tyre burst.
Police spokesperson Charity Munganga-Chanda said the accident happened on Monday around 18:30 hours along the Great East Road at Maula area in Chongwe.
Ms Munganga-Chanda identified the deceased as Christine Muletambo, Monde Mwangelwa and the driver Munalula Mushoke aged 45, 60 and 21, respectively, all of Kaoma. They died when the vehicle, registration number ALT 746, overturned.
The bodies of the deceased are lying in the Chongwe District Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.
Meanwhile, the Drug-Enforcement Commission (DEC) at the weekend arrested more than 30 people countrywide for unlawful cultivation of and trafficking in cannabis, DEC public relations officer Theresa Katongo said in Lusaka yesterday.
On the Copperbelt, the commission arrested Inness Soko, aged 66, a peasant farmer of Chililabombwe, for unlawful cultivation of fresh cannabis plants weighing 10.2 kilogrammes and Mulenga Mutale, 19, of Kitwe’s Luangwa Township for trafficking in loose cannabis weighing two kilogrammes.
Others were Simon Lungu, 27, of Kankoyo Township in Mufulira for trafficking in loose cannabis weighing 2.1 kilogrammes and Christopher Siame, 30, of  Pamodzi Overspill in Ndola for trafficking in 2.1 kilogrammes of loose cannabis.
In Central Province, a 34-year-old man, John Tembo, of Kabwe’s Nakoli Township was arrested for trafficking in loose cannabis weighing 1.3 kilogrammes.
Ms Katongo identified others arrested as Stephen Simwaale, 26, of Mazabuka for unlawful cultivation of fresh cannabis weighing 3.6 kilogrammes.
In Sinda District in Eastern Province, the commission arrested Sylvester Tembo, 84, a peasant farmer for trafficking in 500 grammes of cannabis and a business executive, Ngoza Banda, aged 37, for trafficking in 1.72 kilogrammes of cannabis.
And the commission arrested a 35-year-old Congolese for trafficking in cocaine in Lusaka.
Martin Longo of Lusaka’s Chawama Township was arrested for trafficking in 11 granules of cocaine weighing 0.63 grammes.
Ms Katongo said the commission also nabbed a Lusaka-based auto mechanic, Paul Jere, 34 for being in possession of paraphernalia used in administering narcotic drugs.
All the suspects will appear in court soon.