Two former Zambia Army soldiers have taken the Attorney General and the Army Commander to the Lusaka High Court, challenging their dismissal over accusations of possessing marijuana while in camp.
Chuma Nkuwa of Garden House and Hellem Mwalimu of Chilenje South are contesting their discharge as regular soldiers, describing it as illegal, unreasonable, and improper.
They seek a court order to overturn the decision and restore their rights and privileges as soldiers, alongside claims for damages and legal costs.
In their court filing, the pair alleges that during recruitment training in late 2023, an instructor searched their tent and found nothing suspicious.
However, he later claimed to have discovered marijuana in a plastic bag on one of their beds.
The situation escalated when the instructor handcuffed and assaulted Mwalimu before summoning Nkuwa, who was also beaten and restrained upon his return from an assignment.
The two were subsequently handed over to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for investigation.
According to the plaintiffs, the DEC cleared them of any wrongdoing and informed the Army of their exoneration, though they declined to provide a copy of the report due to confidentiality.
Despite being cleared, the duo claims they were kept at Army Headquarters instead of resuming training. They were later informed they would join their colleagues for a passing-out ceremony in June 2024.
“Then later we were advised that we would not go back to the training camp but instead, would wait for our colleagues at headquarters and pass out together on June 26 and 27, 2024. We were told to proceed to our respective homes and report back for deployment,” they contend.
However, on July 30, 2024, they were summoned and handed discharge letters citing possession of marijuana as the reason for their dismissal.
The former soldiers argue they were never charged, heard, or given an opportunity to defend themselves, labeling their dismissal as unjust and a violation of their rights.
