By KASONDE KASONDE and CHILA NAMAIKO –

POLICE in Chisamba District have picked up five men for cattle theft and recovered 26 stolen cattle.
The 26 were part of the 27 animals stolen from Philip Kotze of Momboshi farms on September 24, this year.
Central Province Police Chief Standwell Lungu disclosed that police had recovered the 26 cattle in Lukanga Swamps.
Mr Lungu said police had received a report that the herd of cattle had been stolen and investigations led to the capture of the suspects and recovery the animals.
He said the five men were in police custody charged with livestock theft and would appear in court soon.
In a related development, farmers in Choma and Kalomo have bemoaned the rising cases of stock thefts in the districts and have appealed to law enforcement agencies to help curb the criminal activities.
The farmers said armed criminals were stealing herds of cattle from their farms on a daily basis and they were now living in fear of their lives.
Speaking in Choma on Thursday during the Choma-Kalomo farmers association 2014 annual general meeting, Chairperson Jorgensen Nyman said criminals were terrorising them by entering their farms unlawfully to steal cattle and other commodities.
He said most farmers had invested hugely on their farms in areas such as livestock rearing, including creation of massive local employment opportunities.
Mr Nyman said the criminals were frustrating their efforts to contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector due to increased incidences of criminal activities on their farms.
Another farmer, Jeff Banda called on the police in the two districts to put more effective mechanisms in protecting their wealth.
He urged the law enforcement agencies to intensify patrols and mount road blocks to monitor the movement of livestock in order to curb stock thefts.
Choma District Commissioner (DC) Bernadette Hamweemba assured the farmers that Government would enhance security measures in their areas and curb the criminal activities.
Meanwhile, one person has died while another sustained serious injuries after two vehicles were involved in a road traffic accident along the Great North Road in Kabwe.
Mr Lungu confirmed the accident that happened on Tuesday around 22:30 hours, four kilometers north of Prospect Police Station in Kabwe district.
He disclosed that the accident involved Jeekap Sichone, aged 32, who was driving a Volvo truck and trailer registration number ABX 4510/ABL 5081T and Kaunda Lumpa, aged 45, of Chibombo District who was driving a Toyota Vista ABL 8369.
Mr Lungu said the accident happened when Sichone improperly overtook another vehicle and hit into the Toyota Vista.
He said a female passenger in the Toyota Vista died on the spot after sustaining injuries and her body is lying in Kabwe General Hospital mortuary while the driver sustained a fractured left leg, bruises on the left arm and on the forehead.