Popular Zambian actor Shazzy Phiri who plays the role of Hambe Nguzu in the widely-watched telenovela, Mpali, yesterday treated court goers at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court to some thrilling unscripted real life drama as he bolted out of a court room after he was sentenced to 14 days in prison for contempt of court.
Hambe’s troubles stem from his well-intentioned good Samaritan act of signing a police bond for his delinquent brother, Costa Phiri, who is accused of obtaining money by false pretences, vanished soon after being released from Kabwata Police Station custody.
After several failed court appearances by Costa, the court summoned the actor, alongside his other brother Stephen Phiri, also a surety. to go and explain why they had not been presenting their criminallly accused sibling before court.
In his response, Hambe claimed he had been busy memorising lines from Frank Sibbuku’s script of the Zambezi Magic TV aired drama series, Mpali.
Finding his explanation unsatisfactory, the court decided to give the actor and his two brothers, who included the accused, a two week free vacation in the Lusaka Correctional Facility to share sleeping quarters with defilers, murderers and aggravated robbers.
But Hambe was not prepared to miss a filming session and decided to give it a run.
The actor jumped out of the dock and took to his heels and put up a plausible challenge to Ben Lombe’s Christmas marathon at Kabwata Police Station.
Unfortunate for Phiri, Lemmy Kajoba’s men stationed within the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court matched his running prowess and caught up with him before he even got far.
Upon apprehension, the panting Hambe, drenched in sweat, marched and squeezed through the tiny entrance of Lusaka Central Correctional Facility where he will be for two weeks, if be does not fork out a K10, 000 he committed to pay if his brother does not appear before court
