Shangombo District Administration has returned eleven stolen cattle to Rivungo, a border town of Angola.

This is in an incident where animals with Angolan brand marks were discovered in Mongu and Lwasa of Shangombo District. 

Shangombo Criminal Investigations Officer, Susiku Kongwa confirmed the incident to ZANIS during a handover meeting that was held at Shangombo Council Chamber.

Mr Kongwa said 11 stolen animals were discovered, five in Mongu and some in Lwasa just within Shangombo.

He added that two suspects in connection with the crime have been apprehended and are in police custody. 

“We discovered 11 stolen animals in Zambia, five in Mongu and the other six had crossed over to Zambia through Lwasa just within Shangombo,” Mr Kongwa said.

He said the court ordered that the animals be returned to the owners.

Mr Kongwa further added that the stolen animals are in police custody and are waiting to be handed over to the Angolan owners.

Shangombo District Commissioner, Mubita Siyamana said that this act is merely a reciprocation of what Angola has been doing when they discover stolen Zambian items.

“On several occasions Angola has been returning stolen items to Zambia, we are merely returning the gesture,” Mr Siyamana said. 

He added that the gesture will strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. 

Angola’s Rivungo District Administrator, Wilson Tchimbinde has expressed joy over the gesture, saying it shows that the two countries have a good relationship.

“This meeting brings joy to my heart as it shows that Shangombo and Rivungo are only separated by river Kuandu.

“The relation between the two countries has been there as early as the times of our first Zambian Republican President the late Dr Kenneth Kaunda, it is therefore, important to keep it,” Mr Tchimbinde said. 

During the meeting several issues were raised such as pushing the agenda to establish a free market trade between Angola and Zambia