ZAMBIA: Ex-VP avoids jail thanks to church

Former Zambian Vice-President Nevers Mumba has avoided prison after pleading that as a pastor, his congregation would suffer if he went to jail.
The cleric and politician was convicted on two counts of abuse of the authority of office by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The charges relate to his time when he served as Zambia’s ambassador to Canada between 2009 and 2011.
He was found guilty of awarding a contract to a Canadian company to do electrical works at the official residence of the high commissioner.
He was also found guilty of not following the correct procedure in the awarding of another contract for electrical and carpeting work, as well as the construction of a desk at the same residence.
After his guilty verdict was announced, Mumba pleaded in mitigation that his church members could not do without him.