MOTORIST FLEES AFTER DISOBEYING POLICE ORDER DURING PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’S MOTORCADE MOVEMENT,  INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY

The Zambia Police Service has launched a full-scale investigation and manhunt for a motorist who reportedly defied a police stop order during the movement of President Hakainde Hichilema’s motorcade in Lusaka. The incident, which unfolded on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, occurred at the busy T-junction linking Chilimbulu and Mosi-oa-Tunya Roads as the presidential entourage transited through the capital. According to law enforcement authorities, the driver brazenly ignored traffic officers deployed to secure the route for the Head of State, choosing instead to accelerate and speed away from the scene. Police Public Relations Officer Godfrey Chilabi confirmed the security breach in an official statement released on Wednesday, noting that the incident was the sole major security-related infraction recorded during an otherwise peaceful presidential inauguration day. President Hichilema’s motorcade was navigating the city en route to the National Heroes Stadium, where thousands of citizens and dignitaries had gathered for the official inauguration ceremony. Despite temporary road closures and extensive security protocols along major arterial routes such as the Great North Road and Lumumba Road, this isolated act of defiance has prompted swift condemnation and security reviews. Security analysts and traffic regulators have repeatedly emphasized that interfering with or disregarding a presidential motorcade poses severe risks, not only to the Head of State and his security detail but also to the general public sharing the thoroughfares. Under Zambian traffic and penal laws, failing to obey a lawful signal from a traffic officer conducting designated security clearances carries heavy legal consequences. Law enforcement agencies have reiterated that driving maneuvers of this nature will not be treated lightly, especially given the heightened threat assessments surrounding high-profile national events. Authorities have assured the nation that the defense and security wings