The High Court seating in Chipata District of Eastern Province has fine a 36 year-old man of Lusaka K1.2 million for causing death by dangerous driving contrary to the law of Zambia.
High Court Judge Naboth Mwanza  fined Jackson Njobvu after was found guilty of causing the death of six  people when the bus he was driving over turned in Katete late last year.
Facts before the court were that on 24th December last year, Njobvu while driving a motor vehicle, a Scania Macopolo registration number ABH 102, on great East Road lost control of the vehicle and over turned leading to the death of six people.
Among the six that died was Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) Eastern Province Acting Provincial Information Officer Mukelebai Mumbuna Mwape who died on the spot.
Njovu was charged with six counts of causing death by dangerous driving contrary to the laws of Zambia.
Judge Mwanza ordered Njovu to pay up within seven days failure to which he would be jailed.
The judge also ordered the suspension of Njovu’s drivers license for nine months.
This is a leniency judgement
and should be appealed by the victims’s families
Wonders will never end
are six people’s lives worth that little
Life is cheap. That is why RB can go around dishing sugar!
why are we so weak when it comes to real issues
The Judge in this case is Naboth Mwanza and the driver is Jackson Njobvu, all from the eastern province of Zambia. Again WAKO NI WAKO syndrome. Honestly our judicial system has to be checked bcoz life is not worth that punishment at all……….
Law law law. What 1.2million compared to life. Ma Judges, you folks should be serious. And who takes that money? This is trash. God Forbid
@ Zale per human life lost? I know you cannot value life but at least fine the guy to deter others from doing the same.
ROAD TRAFFIC LAWS.The driver did not know he will over turn and cause death of six pax.
He is a qualified PSV driver and passed the driving.
This is just a good judgment that has been done in line with laws of Zed.
Otherwise, he can never be jailed No.
Vote for H H and will help Psv drivers for suspensions and not fines and cases will be dealt the same day, no adjournments.
No one surely would have loved to have been in this case; of course it was an accident but the PSV drivers should be more cautious when the drive us, the passengers. Ifitala ba mambala!
The judge needs to be mentally examined.
Pa Zed ifya bupuba fyalifula..how can someone who has caused death of 6 pipo be fined K1.2m? Too much comedy and this is why we will never move forward….atase stupid judge and system
It was not his wish to cause the accident and was just lucky to suvive
The judge meant to say dollars but mixed up with a debt he is owing someone else.
If it was due circumstances beyond his contral then the judgement is fair.But if it was due to carelesness on the driver’s part,then the case needs to be checked again.
oi, they have brought kabanana in court?
This must be the luckiest man alive! Causing death by careless driving is not a crime in Zambia. That’s the message the court is sending.
In my driving experience, ‘lost control’ is another term for careless driving. Vehicles do not just decide become uncontrolable. Where there is no tyre burst, ‘losing control’ is a human error. This is a sad ruling and the judge erred in apllication of the law.
Come to think of this, I wonder if the bus commpany was sued? The bus company has/had a vicarious responsibility over actions of the driver. Families can demand considerable compensation by suing the bus company.
There only sorry when such a tragedy occurs.When will these chaps learn that they are not doing us commuters a favor but in actual fact they are providing a service.Which means the whole nine yards Customer service and care.
To all the transporters out there,let us learn to cherish and care for the commuter who is the reason why you have an income.
What are the details of the case before we judge the judge, was the Driver drunk, sleeping or over speeding? If there was a mechanical fault beyond his control, the sentence may be justified.
#20 I couldn’t get a word from what you just wrote. Are you sure the mystery illness isn’t creeping in?
#9 Livingstone, you just had to be a Southerner to talk of HH.
#14 Demadone, there you go . . . you can be fun and funny after all. Way to go. Gave me a chuckle.
#19 Kuchicolourbwamba, vicarious . . . that word sounds nice. Nice!
1.2million is not for the lose but for the dangerous driving u fools ..accidents can happy to anyone of us..put ur selves in the drivers shoes. i guess u cant drive u fools ala bakolokobwe
Judgement is against the driver for dangerous driving in his personel capacity.
The owner of the bus must have had or should have had insurance for such loses and the bereaved must have claimed and already received settlement.
the circumstances leading to this unfortuanate accident need to be analysed.
Our so called highways are not fit to be called as such.
huge craters on the roads which appear out of nowhere also may cause accidents.
pedestrians , cyclists who should not be on a highway criss cross roads at will and when one is hit the poor driver is immediatly blamed and in some instances sorted out by the gathering crowds.
Ngabalimulekafye nabena bushe accident kwaliba ukuplana ichitikafwe iyine(course of nature and circumstances) unless ngalikolwa while driving but anyway 1.2 m taili bad sana.mwela onse bakamba
#9,how do you know that HH will have the time to deal with such cases?
by allowing people to build next to roads and gathering on roads we are just allowing a bad situation getting out of hand.
we must be the only country in the region that allows bars from operating without regulation on our highways.
instead of puting speed humps all over the place , why have authorities not stopped the unplanned buildings on both sides of a highway.
highways are meant to facilitate the quick and efficient movement of goods and people.they were not meant to be residential roads!
That is why we have so many accidents. Where is a car that loses control go. beacuse there are people everywhere. That is why there must be atleast 50mtres either side without any obstructions
When my sister was killed by a careless driver whose vehicle came off the road and ran into her the Zambian courts dismissed the case when we took the [driver] to court for dangerous driving. So if six lives can be worth 1.2million, guess how much a life is worth in that country… nix.
There are still a lot of questions than answers:
a) Was the driver drunk or not/was he breathalysed by the police (alcohol test)after the accident?;
b) Was the bus road worthy?
c)Was the bus being driven very fast?;
d)Was the bus overloaded/loaded above capacity?
e)How did the judge arrive at this judgement, where their other factors which might have influenced his judgement?
Nr 17, Commst du aus Sambia? Schwein!
The judge seem not to know the gravity of the anguish of relatives of the deceased. Mwanza should revisit his law knowledge. Judgement was appalling.
What fine? Come to England and you know what that means, upto 15yrs mudala, for as long as you have been found guilt of such an offense.
re-visit that law
The issue for me is that the roads infrastructure is unacceptable and the government should take responsibility for this, secondly, did the driver actually get his licence on merit or buy it from the cops?. Was the vehicle roadworthy ro was the fitness certificate another greasy hands job?.
there are systematic failures throughout the governance of our systems which de values life, dignity and development.
This will do nothing to improve road safety, more has to be done.
Apologies for typing mistakes in the last note. I am tied and worn out..still no excuse for sloppiness.
???
We must learn to accept that an accident is an accident although some can be avoided.i dont thnk this oe would have been avoided.
roads must improve and Police people must stop to ask beers from Taxi drivers
Back door driver’s licenses are a major factor.Too much corruption!!
#27. Ba Katwishi are you surely talking of Zambian roads or a road in Brixton? Which Zambian highway has potholes? You can easily do 160 km/h on Zambian Rds without worrying of anything except the speed traps. But I guess you don’t even think there are speed traps on Zambians roads do you? Bob Dylan once said “The times. They are A- Changing.”
#6 – some people just cant help but make a tribal comment. So does it mean if your surname is Mutale then you can not appear before a judge whose surname is Mukuka. If you are a Mundia you can not appear in front of Muyunda etc see how ridiculous it becomes?
This is a fair judgement because the driver as well did not want that accident.If he was drank,that is too small.
The 1.2 million is a fair fine and according to the laws of the country what he has been given is due to him. The fine and suspension of the license is a fair judgement. That fine is not given to the peoples family, it money paid to the government the people family are paid by the insurance company of the vehicle.Thats was a macorcoloplo which usually have been covered by comprehensive insurance.
If this is not a fair judgement it comes back to the question of what is justice?
If ones hand has been cut of by someone accidently does it mean the person who cut the friend accidentally have his hand cut also?
What caused the loss of control? Drink, Tiredness, Bad road ……… When we find out then shall we say whether it is a fair or unfair judgement.
1.2 Million yachepa
ba judge how much did the drive pay you 5meter.i hope those who died shud not rest in piece because there life is wealth 1meter divide by 6.sure ba judge mwa beula over life ya bantu
Can someone give more details?
Was he under the influence of alcohol? Is he not able to pay more than that?
If iCHIBUMBA was around this was not going to happen.This Judge is corrupt.Please ACC investigate accordingly.
The judgement hurts me alot.I lost a good,friend of mine Mukela in that accident.I don’t think Her life was worth that much.Please pipo let us review this case.
Our bad roads contribute to these accidents more than any other excuse.
The country is reaping the cost of neglect and lack of maintenance on our roads.
the government must be fully responsible ,
1. if a driver who got drunk drinking from a bar that was allowed on a highway fails to negotiate a pothole and results in a accident
2. neglected to fix a pothole or allowed the unlawfull buildings to mushroom on a highway and results in a accident
3. lack of proper road markings resulting in accidents
puting rumble humps every few kms is just giving thiefs a chance to steal from slow moving trucks and will not stop accidents
Obvoisly the driver didn’t have criminal intents.The K1.2m is not meant to compensate the victims,it’s a punishment.It could have been imprisonment or fine as simple that.The victims’ relativeS should now claim for the compensation through Civil courtS.Either the driver or his employer should now be sued.
I DO AGREE WITH THE GENTLEMAN FROM UK, ZAMBIA NEEDS TO REVISIT THE LAW. IN RSA SUCH A CRIME IS TERMED CULPABLE HOMICIDE AND ONE IS LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE 5 YEARS MINIMUM
Most accidents on the great east roads are caused because the drivers overspeed. The drivers from either lusaka or chipata aim to reach their destination very fast so they can have a chance to go back. This makes them really tired and still they really overspeed. The road in Katete is not god at all, but still the bus drivers cruise to make sure they reach on time. Besides there are no speed traps on the great east road after Chelstone, so they drive very very careless. I’m sure that what caused the the accident. We need strict road traffic laws in zambia. Otherwise accidents will continue occuring when they can be avoided.
I meant the road in Katete is not good at all!
What can i say? am lost for words, 6 lives for sale in zambia pali chabe 1.2 mita. judge pliz that is not fair jail that murderer!
aah! zambian law!
#53 would you still be able to say that if your child was one of those victims?
Ba Nzelu you got me wrong.#58
Some bloggers think a K1.2m is for the compensation of the victims or victims’ relatives.It’s not!!That money goes to Government coffers.Sending a criminal or fining him is meant to rehabilitate him so he becomes a good citizen.The relatives of the victims Just have to sue in order for them to get something period.