By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
A Zambian MP who was on the run has been apprehended in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Tuesday, Zambia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Jack Mwiimbu, announced during a press briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday.
Mwiimbu confirmed that the MP was arrested by Zimbabwean authorities while renting a flat in Harare. Extradition proceedings are now underway, and Banda will remain in Zimbabwe until these proceedings are completed.
Zambian police had previously announced a reward of 2 million kwacha (approximately $76,700) for information regarding the whereabouts of the member of parliament, who had been on the run since August.
Emmanuel Jay Banda, the MP for Petauke Constituency, also known as Jay Jay Banda, had escaped from a hospital in eastern Zambia. He was under lawful custody following allegations of robbery against a Zambian journalist in December 2015.
According to reports, Banda confronted the journalist in Vubwi District, making off with his camera, spectacles, and cash, all valued at $900.