A 38-year-old businessman from Kandemba area in Solwezi District has been sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment with hard labour by the Solwezi Magistrate’s Court for assaulting a shop owner who attempted to apprehend him after he allegedly stole goods from the shop.
Morgan Malopa was accused of assaulting and harming John Kayamba on 3rd March 2026 in Solwezi district, a charge he admitted when he appeared before Principal Resident Magistrate Mambwe Mukonde.
According to the facts of the matter, Kayamba had his shop broken into by unknown people who got items costing K10,000 and that when he searched the shop premises, he found two men within 100 metres.
The facts read that the two men distracted the complainant from seeing them by shining a light in his face before splitting in two different directions.
“The complainant chased after one of the two men who he came to know as Morgan Malopa. When the accused saw that the complainant was close to him, he challenged him with a screw driver,” the facts read.
Kayamba chased after Malopa and upon seeing how close he was to catching him, he hit him with a screw driver on the left side of his face, stomach and other body parts causing him to sustain cuts and bruises.
Malopa was caught with the help of Kayamba’s neighbours who was found with a sack of items containing multiple items missing from the shop and a yellow screw driver used to hit him was picked from the scene.
Maloba was found guilty and convicted by Magistrate Mukonde after he admitted the facts and asked the court for leniency saying his children would suffer if the court sent him to prison.
But Ms Mukonde said Maloba extensively harmed Kayamba for fear of being caught adding that such actions cannot go unpunished and pronounced a two-year four months’ jail term with hard labour which will take effect from the date of his arrest.
Meanwhile, the same court has sentenced 39-year-old Steven Mulemena, a small-scale farmer of college area to twelve months’ imprisonment suspended for nine months after finding him guilty of assaulting his young brother, Moses Khumalo.
According to facts in the matter, Mulemena beat up Khumalo with a brick causing him to have multiple fractured ribs after a quarrel over money.
Mulemena asked the court to be lenient on him saying he regrets his actions and pledged to refrain from such behaviour.
But Magistrate Mukonde said Mulemena’s actions were unacceptable as he acted excessively despite having provoked his young brother adding that his actions could not be condoned.
“You are the one who provoked the complainant yet your actions were excessive, such actions are unacceptable. Having heard your mitigation and the fact that you are a first offender, I hereby sentence you to twelve months’ imprisonment, suspended for nine months and the sentence will take effect from the date of arrest,” Magistrate Mukonde said.
