A Chongwe magistrate has committed to the Lusaka High Court for sentencing two men of Chikwela village in the district for stealing two goats valued at K240, 000.
Magistrate Moses Phiri committed Gift Mumba 27 and Given Lupenga 26 to the High Court after convicting them of the offence of stock theft.
Magistrate Phiri told the duo that he was referring them to the high court for sentencing because stock theft attracts a minimum sentence of 5 years which his court can not give.
Facts before the court were that on December 15 last year the duo jointly stole two male goats belonging to a Mr. Bernard Kolala of the same village which were later recovered by Chongwe police.
Earlier, the same court slapped two 12 months sentences on the duo to run consecutively for two counts of burglary and theft with effect from December 16 last year when they were arrested.
The court established that on December 2 and 5 last year, the duo jointly broke into two taverns belonging to Ernest Tembo and Chrispin Njovu of Chikwela village.
From Tembo’s tavern, the duo stole an umbrella and a home theatre valued at K1.2 million while from Njovu’s tavern the duo stole 30 packets of Shake Shake beer and a refrigerator worth K1.4 million.
In mitigation the duo pleaded for lenience form the Court stressing that they have orphans to look after.
Magistrate Phiri, however, said he was sending them to jail because of the gravity of the offences they committed and to deter would-be offenders.
ZANIS
Too bad chaps! The Zambian law has no mercy what so ever for the poor.
someone steals a mbuzi n u give em minimum of 5 yrs when people clearly guilty of corruption are slamming Bmw doors and popping out of woodlands. where is the love? totally failed system
# 2 Don Paulo ,I totally agree with u….and the latest is that this ka – someone has even denied a 20 hectares land for his house and instead demanding 40 hectares!can u imagine…thats Y I will just join al-qaeda mwe!
awe naimwe BashiMutale pa # 3 ,ALkeda yena twakana mukwayi.that stuff is for i dont know.I mean theres no way a man can be brainwashed to the extent of making him believe that if he takes innocent lives,he will die and his after-life will be spent with 70 virgins!can u believe that stuff?
no my dear,I was just joking!by the way I noticed we are using the same flag….any chance of meeting?
hell no my brother.
1.i never “talk” to strangers(hope u kno wam’sayn)
2.am seeing someone
3.LT is not a dating site
I tend to disagree with Jane K @ # 6 on point number 1 when you say you don’t talk to strangers because you are already addressing or talking to us strangers right now on this sight. I respect your other two points. Bashi Mutale we need you in 2010 and please don’t join the alkaida (sp) group.
Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. So says the Bible in Proverbs 6 :30 – 31
However, lenience should be exercised since the Mbuzis were were later recovered by Chongwe police. In case, as other have said greater thieves are allowed to go scot free!!!
I meant to say, in any case
#1, Indeed there is some truth to the saying that “justice favours the rich.” Nevertheless, accused person’s always do get a chance to air any mitigating factors for courts to ponder before they pass judgement. Trouble only comes when there is a minimum sentence in effect! In such a situation, there isn’t much the courts can do.
By the way Bashi Mutale, Jane.K could be a man! And may be you are a women! Any way it is educative to know that a goat is about £15. Imagine if all those who are looking after orphans decide to go against the law, what a Zambia would emerge?
# 2 ama jokes ya so bawishi mulechenjela. You lack sensitivity for the many families who have suffered and lost their beloved ones ku mulandu wa ababene bantu.
On the subject it makes justice a mockery to be committed to the High Court for just stealing 2 goats. May be the facts are incomplete and i may speculate that weapons were used and it was therefore aggrevated robbery. Again reporting short comings?????
I meant # 3 – Bashi Mutale. Apologies # 2 Don Paulo
Don Paulo you have put it ever so correctly. Our nation has completely got it wrong and indeed there is no mercy for the poor. But shouldn’t we brave it up and head back home to put things right??