Supreme Court judge Gregory Phiri has sentenced six men of Lusaka to death by hanging for killing an Anderson Security Limited driver and stealing K1.5 billion belonging to Zanaco six years ago.
The judge has also sentenced two men of Lusaka’s Kanyama township to death by hanging for killing a police officer and stealing two AK47 rifles five years ago.
Mr Justice Phiri, sitting as High Court judge, sentenced Dick Tembo, Field Banda, Mabvuto Banda, Peter Tembo, Christopher Njovu and Charles Phiri after finding them guilty of shooting Blaston Zimba dead and stealing the money along Great North Road in 2007.
The six were charged with murder and aggravated robbery contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
They were jointly charged with Moses Mwenya who died in prison and Harrison Chungu who was acquitted yesterday due to lack of evidence linking him to the offences.
Delivering judgement in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Justice Phiri said the six connived to ambush the Anderson Security cash-in-transit van between Landless Corner and Liteta and murdered Mr Zimba on the spot.
He said the ambush was a well-planned act by the bandits in conjunction with Tembo, who was a senior security guard stationed at Zanaco, and Njovu, who was the Anderson Security cash-in-transit manager.
“I find the accused persons guilty of murder by common desire and aggravated robbery and I convict each one of them accordingly.
“None of the convicts is allowed by law to escape the penalty of death by hanging and I therefore make the sad pronouncement that each one of you will in future, be hanged by the neck until pronounced dead by a medical doctor,” Mr Justice Phiri said.
He said the prosecution has proven beyond reasonable doubt that there is circumstantial evidence linking the six to the murder of Mr Zimba and stealing the K1.5 billion during the robbery.
Mr Justice Phiri said Tembo, who was a senior security officer, was supposed to ensure that the van was accompanied by a Zambia Police officer.
He said Njovu was the supervisor of the cash-in-transit department but he deliberately failed to ensure that the van was secure to transfer money from Lusaka to Kabwe.
And Mr Justice Phiri sentenced Fireman Lungu and Zunzo Phiri to death by hanging for killing Eugene Chitankwa, a police officer, and stealing two AK47 rifles, government property worth US$200.
Lungu and Phiri were charged with murder and aggravated robbery contrary to the laws of Zambia. The two while armed with an Uzi machine gun, opened fire at Mr Chitankwa and two other police officers who were on police patrol in Chipata overspill area in 2008.
The Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns.
The judge said what was aggravating is that the two used a machine gun to attack police officers on duty, killing one of them and stealing firearms.
He said the punishment for murder and aggravated robbery is death by hanging and the two shall be hanged to death, according to the law.
“I find the accused guilty as charged and convict them accordingly. The law is very clear that people who commit such felonies shall be punished by death.
I accordingly condemn the two of you to death by hanging until pronounced dead. May God have mercy on you,” Mr Justice Phiri said.
“It is not the first time this court is trying and sentencing Mr Fireman Lungu for aggravated robbery. He first appeared in this court in 2000 when he was jointly charged with his brother on four counts of attacking farmers and retirees in Lusaka,” he said.
Mr Justice Phiri said as soon as Lungu was pardoned from prison, he ‘graduated’ from attacking farmers and retirees and immediately embarked on his ‘criminal enterprise’ of attacking police officers on duty.
Zambia’s death penalty was last enforced 15 years ago when the then sitting President Frederick Chiluba signed some death warrants.
[Daily Mail]
Christian nation
What do you make of Act 5:1-11?
The more reason to hang them coz they know very well that being citizens in a Christian nation, they are supposed to conduct themselves as Christians and not murder innocent people as they please.
Christian nation am guessing the forgiving thing here, talk about hell for eternity. hanging is now looking pretty kul huh?
please hang them soonest. that is why we have so much lawlessnes in zm. death by hanging is clearly stipulated what takes the president so long to sign. hang them pls its a choice they made. look at the the orfans the were left behind after the killings these same street kids are now attacking us inocent ones. hang them
Kabolala te muntu. The wages of sin is death.
Ati Bembas are thieves. All these characters are from Chipata man
Kubeba cant you see that Chungu managed to be pardon…Kalulu survives always! We easterns are easily led…
Perhaps life in-prison can do, taking someones life aint the solution people can change with time and counseling. Ati mukobeko prison, prisons are supposed to be a correction and counseling center not taking someones life or massive punishment as is the case in most Zambian prisons.
when we read in the word of GOD we found that paul who was called silas was totally a killer but God wanted him to work in his vine yard, if God wanted to kill him he would have done that, but he decided to change him so that he can bring more to him, so in the prisons people go there for correction and counselling not to take someonse life as the same killers did. there is no sin so small, sin is sin, you kill, stole, rape, all are sin. no sin is above the other.
when we read in the word of GOD a man and woman were killed on spot for lying to the apostles about something related to money. The story is in the book of acts, Sodom and Gomora, killed, Noah’s time, killed. all of them. Have humans become more righteous now to be spared based on the word of GOD? its the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
God have mercy on them indeed! They hav ripped what they sowed! The wages of sin (thou shall not kill) is death. Surely they have to cry and agonise in spirit wth Heaven’s Attorney General to accept them in his kingdom of glory just like he did to the thief on his right side when he was crucified. His grace is sufficient to all contrite and repentant sinners!!!
blood thirsty xristian nation!
What do mean?
Yeah what DO you mean. because no President has signed a death warrant since Chiluba…
Chipata warriors really they deserve punishment but not ending their life may be life in prisonment. the only one allowed to terminate life is God the starter /Finisher of life
life imprisonent takes tax payers money to look after them, what were they thinking going about killing people like savages out of the jungle?
Banda, Tembo, Phiri, Njovu…. are going to the gallows. oh dear!
These guys really derves punishment, really hard punishment but not finishing there lives, cause they need to give testimonies when they come out of prison, to come and teach the world how God saved them and to tell how bad sin is.
The death penalty law should be repealed from our Laws for the following reasons. 1. The purpose of punishment is to reform the culprit. A culprit cannot reform when his life is being terminated. 2.Killing is unchristian for a christian nation, regardless of who does the killing. Only God has the authority to take away life. Having such a law is a mockery to our Christian Nation Status. 3. As humans, there is always the danger of killing an innocent man. It is better to let all murderers to serve life sentences than mistakenly to kill one innocent man. 4. Death penalty does not act as a deterrant. Murder in Zambia has continued to increase despite the death penalty. 5. No President in Zambia has signed the death Warrant in 15 years. This is further proof that the law is not needed.
Reverend but me I agree with you mwe. I am so happy to see other Zambians that recognise the futility of “an eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth”
these guys are supposed to face the law even to be at mukobeko prison to reap what they have sold, but vengeance belongs to GOD.
Sounds like westerner movie. :) Too many cowboys in Zambia.
Charles Taylor is being charged of his crimes in the Hague sentencing is live on major international TV stations, i wish they could send him to Mukobeko prison instead of european prisons when found guilty
CHIPATA GUYS ARE THE WORST CRIMINALS, JUST LOOK AT THE NAMES BEKABEKA BA MAMBALA
sparing which life?what about the life they teminated and him was innocent even the bible say dont stop the murderes for they are digging their own grave so they dug their own graves when they killed just over money and they even worked togther with the man.prison is a teacher when they come out they are graduates they comeout with new ideas they are few who change when they come out.hope they hav repented at least justice has been given to the families who lost their loved ones now they can rest in peace.
mwebantu, ifya kulumbula lesa apa tapali. Let thoz Bustard Easterners go to hung! So that others can learn a lesson too! The orphans and widows thoz killed left behind are suffering.,
These thugs dont have mercy when killing innocent people. I felt pity for inmates when they showed a documentary about Mukobeko at ZNBC TV but after reading this, let them be hanged without wasting any more time.
Latest (BBC on Charles Taylor
1141: The prosectuion has failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was part of a joint criminal enterprise, the judge says.
1140: The judge says the prosecution failed to prove that the accused was individually responsible for some of the crimes committed in Sierra Leone.
Chipata –Chipata – Chipata, Avionelanji Mu Lusaka, Bacha Manje, what a shame, this is serious, all these names are Easterners. I did not know that we have death sentence in Zambia, As a Christian nation, we should revoke it, Give them Life Imprisonment not killing by Hanging??
@19,same is happening-Sudanese presido is on a wanted list but he is still killing the new sothern sudanese pipo-he can also escape the net once caught.Injustice is the order of the day.
@zambian,u r very dull, charles taylor has been found guilty of criminally responsible of all the 11 counts
The death penalty in Zambia must not be repealed. If any man or woman deliberately kills another, the killer must be killed. Because of the sanctity of life, God commands that killers be killed. Once someone deliberately kills another, the killer’s life looses sanctity and must be done away with, period. In the case of the characters here sentenced to death, you all can see that they went to great lengths to plan and execute a robbery and they knew that they were going to kill someone. the bottom line is this: If you want to live, let others live also.
I am surprised that all men this time are from Chipata. I think they have been Bembarised. The men deserve to hang they took away life of innocent people. Let them be hung as well. Bravo Judge Phiri
Chungu (Bemba) acquitted, no evidence… we always tell you that Bembas are smart!! Banda to Phiris (all Nyanjas) convicted by HANGING even if they were not the shooters. You only sentence to death the person who fired.
READING THIS ARTICLE MADE ME SHED A TEAR. I HOPE OUR RESIDENT WON’T APPROVE OF THESE DEATH SENTENCES.
WE NEED THOSE PEOPLE
Easterner took the show this time……..if a kolwestan was involved these guys were not going to be nabbed….
they just need to die by shootin them down
Ati Zambia a Christian Nation my foot…..you even sentence a person already dead…shame, I thought death sentences have been done away….. even they that are found to have stolen from the nation through corruption should face death sentence………. a person is sentence to death while robbing together with the person who actually short and killed is absolutely rubbish justice compared to a person who stole money meant for the poor for example money for drugs in rural areas and more than hundred children and women(elderly) die because they would not have the drugs and the man responsible pays his way through the same courts…ABSOLUTELY RUBBISH JUSTICE…very upsetting
READING THIS ARTICLE MADE ME SHED A TEAR. I HOPE OUR PRESIDENT WON’T APPROVE OF THESE DEATH SENTENCES.
WE NEED THOSE PEOPLE TO DO DEVELOPMENTAL WORK AS A WAY OF PUNISHMENT.
WHAT KIND OF LESSON WILL BE GIVEN TO THEM IF THEY ARE HANGED TO DEATH? IT IS LET THEM BE IN MUKOBEKO WHERE THEY CAN FEEL THE SLIGHTEST PAIN THEY INFLICTED ON OTHERS THROUGH LABOUR AND HUNGER. AND WHO MAY KNOW, THAT CAN BE A TURNING POINT FOR THE GREATER GLORY.
Take a life is the worst thing ever and there is no justification for it.
I guess this is the Gov’t’s solution to reducing overcrowding in the maximum prison in Kabwe and clear the pending cases.
This shows you how dull the easterners are. Always following the bembas blindly in everything. And when things get tough, Chungu is acquited and the “blind following f*ools are all hanged…lol
What about police officers who went for rescue operations? They stole all the dollars and left the useless kwacha which was reported to zanaco. This robbery happened in broad daylight around 10hrs when robex construction was resurfacing the GNR between landless corner and banani school, the bandits took advantage of the construction process when one lane was closed and attacked the zanaco car carrying dollars and kwachas to kabwe. More details are needed for police officers please, we all know it i was their whilst resurfacing the road.
Life sentence would have been my preferred route.What gain are we after if we kill those criminals?No human justice will ever equal the price of what they have done.
Kill Kill Kill…..
The should be hanged now!! ba fi-colour
They are all chipata boys? What a shame basakalanyongo imwe! Epo mpelele mukwai.
It is sad that they are all Easterners, what has happened to these people. What a shame and I feel for their mothers having such violent children.