A MADISON Insurance Group team manager who caused the death of three people due to speeding shed tears in court after he was fined.
Kelvin Chikonde, 44, openly wept as Kabwe High Court Judge Elita Mwikisa was passing judgment and advised him to go through the Highway Code to avoid accident adding that as a result of his carelessness lives were lost.
This is in a case in which Kelvin Chikonde was facing three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. It was alleged that on July 25, 2012 in Serenje district he caused the death of Mwape Sibande, Barbra Zingani and Hassani Banda while driving a Nissan Twin Cab registration number ALF 6469.
When the case came up for the reading of facts before Ms Justice Mwikisa, the accused pleaded guilty to all the three counts.
In mitigation defence lawyer, Bridget Pizo pleaded for leniency saying her client was remorseful over the loss of lives and that the families to the deceased had all been compensated though that would not back the lives of the victims.
He pleaded with the court not to suspend his drivers’ licence as his work involved driving.
In her ruling, Ms Justice Mwikisa said this time around she was not going to send him to prison but would fine him K7, 500 to be paid by October 5, 2013 or in default face nine months imprisonment.
The court also endorsed his licence and warned him that if he appeared in court under a similar offence she would have no option but to send him to jail.
As the judgment was being passed the now convict was fighting tears but as he walked out of dock, tears rolled down his cheek.
It should have been 7,500 x 03
It’s k2500 x3!!
Surely the least punishment the Judge was going to hand out is suspension of his licence, forget the fact that his job involves driving because this is pure mockery of justice.
When did shedding tears become a factor in passing judgement?
This guy was probably driving under the influence of alcohol and was supposed to be punished for it. Relatives of the deceased should weigh in on the DPP to have this appealed.
There most likely backroom deal struck. The Zambian judicial system is very corrupt. For those with money or connections cases are handle two-pronged. One case in the formal court and another privatively. The latter will involve the network facilitating a light sentence even for a relatively serious crime. If this guy was just an ordinary and person, the sentence would have been harsh.
will the manager for multichoice also face the same
The situation in that case may be different. That accident involved 4 vehicles. A truck was left parked on the road with not reflectors or triangles was at a curve and it was dark. The MC guy was following another vehicle. It was a chain reaction of three vehicles heading in the same direction (at the same time) and another coming from the opposite side.
life is cheap in some parts of the world. tsk tsk…
zambia in particular……
It’s not cheap, it’s the level of incompetence in Zambia that gives the impression that life is cheap. I wonder what judgement would have been given if one of the victims was related to this judge.
Unbelieveable! Not even confiscating his driving licence worse off no prison time, am lost for words, this judgement really does hurt, the relatives received peanuts which will be used up in one month…… dear God life expectancy is really short in Africa? it doesnt matter how it’s just short, what a life!
Lawsnneed to be changed bane
It was an accident. He did not leave his house with the intention of killing someone. It was an accident period! Accidents, though every reasonable person tries to avoid them, they nevertheless occur. We can’t help it. If he was sent to prison how will this have helped the grieving family. The only aspect the judge omitted was counseling. The guy needed three months of counseling with a registered psycho-social counselor. Again our courts are so poor regarding insights on human social orientations. A significant amount of our conduct particularly negative behaviour: like over speeding, inner tension, drunkenness, anger, laziness, resignation on life etc has its origins in our relationships and social orientations and therefore require deep introspection. Mr. manager, as a friend, turn…
Accidents don’t happen. They are caused.
@Synderesis, you are shocking, especially that you writing fro UK. In UK a driver by law would be in for five year for killing innocent people on the road. How dare you support that funny judgement of only a fine for killing three people through careless driving? That chap, the manager, was supposed to be locked for fifteen years with hard labour, fi e years for each life he terminated. Poor judgement by the rouge judge.
Very sad indeed. The man cried because he was remorseful. Any sensible, sensitive right minded human being would do the same. Too bad for the dead, MTSRIP!
Solola Bye!
Floyed Chitalu, If you are a driver you would not be talking like that. it is sad that lives were lost but no one I want to believe would deliberately cause an accident.
Read the ruling above again, it includes ‘dangerous driving, carelessness and speeding’. These are reasons enough to have him punished, the state must appeal.
He cried in court room at home he probably had bbq and more alcohol with friends and family to celebrate the let off. I forsee an appeal coming because this is a joke of a sentence. I wonder how much this judge oiled to be this kind to this dangerous man?
Has life in Zambia become so cheap that you kill people and all you have to do is shed tears in court and are free to go home?
TOTAL INJUSTICE.
You just read my thought, this is rather suspecious.
They always fine for dangerous driving
Lesson here for Zambians: Someone is doing Your spouse, don’t go murdering them like that Barbara woman did. You could get sentenced to Death. But if you plan it carefully and wait for them to cross the road…. Well you can claim you were simply “careless, my lord”, “I am remoursefull and I wont do it again”. By the way please let me continue driving as this weapon is very useful to me(!!???)
How much cheaper can life in Zambia be?
Pedestrians are very careless in Zambia, it may not have been the driver’s fault.
Anabosha mu guyz uyu. No wayz.
MY DEAR FRIEND,SO SORRY 4 WAT TRANSPIRED.EVEN MO SORRY 4 THE LOST BRETHRENS AND BEREAVED FAMILIES.MTSRIP.
The judge is a joke!!! what will reading the highway code do for this man or any dangerous driver out on our roads. He needs to be banned from driving for 10 years and locked up.
The family of the victims should appeal against the judges decision. she has erred at law and there needs to be a proper re-hearing ASAP!!!
First it was quack doctors now its quack Legal professionals next quack teachers and so on…..
Pedestrians in Zambia dont know their boundaries. They walk as if they are in a park.
Updating of laws is one of the things our MPs should be doing instead of just waiting for gratuity. In the developed world, MPs are judged on the positive influences they had in society during their term. This includes things like how many private member’s Bills they introduced and had successfully passed during their tenure. In our country, chaps just go to drink cheap alcohol, by a 4X4 and get gratuity. Very few of them initiate private member’s bills or even open their mouths to say anything (other than hear!hear!hear!) in 5 years. This is where people like Lubinda, Milapo and very few others excelled in the past.