THE Ndola High Court has sentenced two men to hang for stoning to death a security guard at Mabungo Primary School in Twapya township and in addition, jailed the duo for 50 years for aggravated robbery.
The sentence was meted out by Judge Isaac Chali last Thursday, against Sydney Mambwe, 31, and Gift Mwansa, 31, who were both charged with murder and aggravated robbery.
Particulars of the offence are that on September 29, last year, in Ndola, the duo murdered the security guard, Fidelis Kafwimbi, to aid their theft of property at the school .
Mr Justice Chali noted that there were no extenuating circumstances in Kafwimbi’s murder, hence he could not impose any other sentence other than death.
“Having found no extenuating circumstances in the murder case that can persuade me to impose any other sentence, I direct that the two of you shall be hanged by the neck until you are pronounced dead.
“In respect of aggravated robbery, I find that both of you are first offenders, but the offence you committed is a very serious one, and the court will be failing in its duties if it does not impose deterrent measures on offenders.
“I hereby sentence you to 50 years imprisonment with hard labour each with effect from the date you were arrested,” Mr Justice Chali said.
The duo was granted leave to appeal to the Supreme Court within 14 days.
Earlier, defence counsel Ethel Banda pleaded with Judge Chali to exercise leniency on Mambwe and Mwansa as both were married men with children to look after.
During trial, the court heard that on the day in question, Mambwe and Mwansa, threw stones at Mr Kafwimbi, who was on duty at Mabungo Primary School, until he died.
The pair then gained entry into the the school and stole an assortment of electrical appliances which they later hid at the house of Mambwe’s lover.
Together with an accomplice only known as Peter, who is on the run, the convicts were intercepted by police after they hired a taxi to ferry the stolen goods from where they had hidden them. Mambwe’s lover and Peter managed to escape.
(DailyMail)
Comment:so sad
The death sentence in Zambia is just a joke. When last was it carried out? Just wasting tax-payers’ money on keeping these criminals by providing them with lodging, meals, medicines and security.
Comment:suntwe u are right
Lawyers explain something to me. What is mitigation premised on? It doesn’t make sense. For example these guys are claiming to have families, what about the victim?
Why not do away with this provision in our legal system as it helps no one.