A grade eight pupil of Kalingalinga Basic School in Lusaka was on Friday sentenced to four months imprisonment with hard labour for stealing K143 and three flash discs from a shop.
Teddy Banda, 20 was charged with theft contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
Principal resident magistrate Kenneth Mulife convicted Banda upon his admission of guilt.
Allegations were that Banda , on January 16 in Lusaka, stole K143 cash and three flash discs valued at K90, the property of Gabriel Chishimba who owns a shop in Kalingalinga market.
And according to facts read before court, Chishimba had left the shop for a few minutes and that when he returned, he realised that money was missing from his cash box.
The complainant told the police that he inquired from the women who were selling next to his shop and they pointed at Banda as being the only one who had entered the shop while he was away.
The court heard that after being approached, Banda tried to run away but that members of the public pursued him and managed to apprehend him.
Banda was later taken to Kalingalinga Police Station where he was charged and arrested for theft.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charge and the court convicted him.
In mitigation, Banda begged for leniency, saying he was a pupil and going to jail would disadvantage him.
“I am a pupil. If I am sent to prison, my education will be disturbed,” Banda who spoke in Nyanja pleaded.
However, in sentencing him, magistrate Mulife said if Banda loved his education, he would have avoided stealing.
“I will exercise leniency on you because you are a first offender and you have not wasted the court’s time, but in order to help you in future, I am sentencing you to four months imprisonment with hard labour. You will still go back to school after serving and this sentence should serve as a warning to other youths; learn to earn and not steal,” said magistrate Mulife.
(The Post)
Comment:they should also cage HH for stealing during privatization
chewing clients money and on record what should be done about such people…. surely you will not have an answer
yah most of the boys in kombons are thief and girls are prostitutes. what a shame. CAGE THE 1DIOT
seems a bit excessive for the amount stolen. I am all for discipline and teaching lessons but the punishment should fit the crime.
Putting someone with other real criminals may help increase his propensity for the criminal life not deter it.
In order to escape jail, you have to be a big thief like Chiluba, RB & his kids. In Zambia the judges are too quick to pass maximum sentence on petty criminals. And it has to be hard labour. Jail time should be dished to the likes of the creatures I mentioned above, because they plan in advance cold-bloodedly and deliberately to rob govt.