A 30 year old man of Kawambwa district has been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour for stock theft.
Benson Chama of Mbilima Village in Chief Mushota’s area was sentenced by the Kawambwa magistrates’ court to 2 years 6 months imprisonment for stealing 2 goats belonging to Chiwala Mpundu of the same village valued at K180, 000.
This is contrary to section 275 cap 87 of the laws of Zambia. Particulars of the case were that on 23rd February, 2009 around 01:00 hours, Chama, while acting together with two unknown persons, stole two animals belonging to Chiwala Mpundu.
Chama who denied the charge, was found with a case to answer at the end of the trial.
In mitigation, Chama asked the court for leniency, pleading that if imprisoned, the beans and maize fields he cultivated would go to waste, as there would be no one to harvest his crops.
In passing judgment, Magistrate Felix Kaoma said goats were among the most valued animals in the province, adding that stealing a goat in Luapula was the same as stealing a cow in Southern Province.
He sentenced Chama to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour.
In the same court, a 21 –year-old man of Chibwe Village in Chief Munkanta’s area in Kawambwa district was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for escaping from lawful custody.
Joseph Chola escaped from Police cells on February 22, 2009 around 10:00 hours, contrary to section 119 cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.
ENDS/LC/PK/ZANIS
Siumvela iwe! Waona lomba? Work hard, osaba, Sha!
Njala, Ba Moze. It’s sad this guy will have to serve his term while Regina and her clique will be busy sipping on champaign ka. What a world we live in.
Imwe sure! Even has the audasity to sit next to the Chief Justice, that Regina! Thats a slap in our faces. This Chama cant even afford to appeal!
They say ‘njala ni kanyama’, awee but this is a very petty issue to go in for 90 days! Regina wont even serve a day in jail.. wait and see.
Amai Stevens, niye umoyo uyu. Animal farm chaiyo! Dont feel so bad about Chama. Kuli ma fresh veggies mu ma prison lomba ka. Ayine noyina chama uyu.
Serves him right!!!!
Please have mercy on him [-o<
iwe moderator which mercy are you talking about mwaleiba bonse nangu niwe wa mutumine.ukusamwa
Hi baby C,are you doing dear,u gat me on ma mind lately dont know what to do about it,can I…..
Hi ghost dog! self contro ils the best medication! You can fly to Manchester if you dont mind! Lol!
There is no self control for a feeling,Definately I wouldnt mind flying there ,I need your digits then,mail them over to
[email protected],
Ba LT ,why am I on moderation,is it because am chating to her,are you also interested in her?We can battle this out,remember that my extra energy my gurantees that am winning.
catch me on [email protected],so we can talk
baby its impossibe to control a feeling. I will fly for you definately,deep down you heart you know it,jus give me your digits and in a jiffy am there.
Ok! First put a smile on that face… You look too serious dear
Soup yambuzi temptations !
I feel him! Not a good thing to do but still can’t blame him though….
i think niwe sakaala
Azachiona manje ! the law has v isited him now
But the problem is that it only visits the weakest and hopeless.
Moderator, you ve got point!!
Azadya beans yoola instead of the goat meat he stole
Indeed some animals are more equal than others! Steal 2 goats and you get more than 2 yrs in the pen while white collar criminals walk scott free…! Kafupi and friends all seem to be getting up to 3yrs max while this poor bloke with no legal help goes in for what seems to be a small offence driven by extreme poverty!!!
For real, Zed is an animal farm.
There was some Lozi Chief in the 19th Century who used to award a cow to anyone who stole. I bet he had never met the likes of KAFUPI. Zed is Zed, its dog eat dog. survival ni nkondo.
This is absolutely preposterous.What kind of justice is this! Isn’t this the same amount of time given to Samuel Musonda Zanacco boss for corruption? They should have made the guy pay back with interest from his beans and maize fields instead of being unproductive in an overcrowded jail. This is injustice of the worst.I’m appalled at the justice system in Zambia.Someone help that poor man. 2 measly goats are not worth 2 1/2 yrs in prison! Lord have mercy.
You are absolutely right, sir. That’s why we will never develop. This guy can be more productive outside the jail cell than a 100 Chinese investors can.
Umusebanya! A prison sentence over imbushi?
Indeed you can imagine, if you break it down. it’s just relish that he stole. Mbuzi is simply ndiyo.
That`s two and a half years when a certain short man and his clons are enjoying life.
Zambia chalo cesu!
I agree with you , the sentence is too long for the crime comitted, there must be a reason they are puting this poor guy away for so long. They want all the goats to themselves, this is not fair.
and thats why africans can never progress. they can’t see that looking him up for such nonsense actually puts more strain on the scarce government resources. like one blogger said, the guy could be doing something productive if not semi productive while paying backfor the goats. or he could simply return them and be punished in some other way like a small fine. infact he’s already been publically disgraced, thats also a punishment
Hi
Do thay have somethignlike community service where the guy can go and help either fixing broken things or even buliding or even cleaning, instead of locking him up for so long for such a petty crime.
2.5yrs is too much for a goat theft compared to wat Regina consumed even the Generals. Its so unfair tht such is happening in a christian nation where the poor and the opressed are beein mistreated.May God delivr them all.
Mwalifulwa ku Zed. Two and a half years with hard labour for simple goats when the real goats are enjoying life! Why not give him time to pay back and community service? He hasgot ibala already this shows all this simple man needed was a bit of rehab! Alas not in Zambia.
U beta be silent 3RqU coz watever u say, i wil set up a tribunal.U got cases mweee
Hi Zoe,
is that goat meat i ate at your place. You didnt tell me were you got it from.
Talk to me mama.
Am ok,ya it was goat kaili u knw we did catering and marinated it wth sum portugese fimofimo. Ba Honey wen i ask u questions u owez refuse,now i hav question for u 1st identify yoself on [email protected] waitn
Zambia’s rule of law is “ if you are poor don’t steal, but if you are rich steal more because your riches will save you from being jailed” …Zambia’s Rule of law.
just K180Pin you jail him for 30 months..and these ba kabwalala stealing ama Million of $, you jail them for just 3 days….pamatako
30 years for two goats only! Jungle law.
Even Shalia law wont punish like that , they will just ask you to eat the meat , then the you have to promise not commite the same offence again, or even pardon you . I think the president should pardon this poor man, obvoiusly it is because of poverty that why he had to steall the goats.
Probably some NGOs could assist this man to appeal his sentence. Come to think about it, he will be 60 years old after serving his sentence. Does Legal Aid Still exist?
I think you meant to say 30 months. That chap from Mongu who stole batteries (worth 60,000 kwacha) from Shoprite was even jailed for a longer period. it does not make sense when the real thieves are going scot free…
I agree with you on that one. people shud get what they deserve
iwe chimonalisa ulishilu ni 30 months not 30 years
But ka Poverty kaliko bad pa zed that man who is jailed has left the familly suffering to survive, they will also think of stealing a chicken and be jailed 4 2yrs its true in zambia prisons are for the poor abena Regina ku pitamofye 4 a day there they are scort free
he should have just been asked to work in the maize field or mukalibala ka kalundwe. Awe this man will come out of jail with more criminal training. from goats to something more advanced.
PA ZED
Whilst i agree that the sentence is harsh mwe bantu, uyu Chama siamvela. Sure tip toeing and stealing mbuzi zamunzake who is equally trying to make ends meet? Mulekeni achiteko reflect on his actions mu prison. In any case, he will probably eat better than his family now. Muli ma fresh vegetables muja ka.
Ba Moze naimwe. Can you imagine how much grief would befall upon you if your son was to be sent to prison for 30 years for stealing a goat? I would be a bit lenient to this man, maybe 10 strokes of a Sjambok on his bare buttocks and some community service( more like what St. Michael is doing now, preaching to young ones about the dangers of drugs).
justice with many sides, one billionare(zed kwacha) goes in for less than a week and suddenly sits by the CJ on state house grounds. we shud just forego the courts and these shamfumus coz i dont see logic in their sentences. how can a man who stole the goats be jailed promptly while cases for the real plunderers are still dragging? i think these judges get commission from these cases and they dont want such cases to be winded up while the poor guy’s case, the judge knew that even being given the goats he wont get rich. so they concentrate on adjourning chilubas case so they continue eating. we are watching
Regina chiluba stole more than two goats and was sentenced to almost the same years as this poor man, and later was granted bail. Fairness should be there people of zambia. is it becuase this poor man did not have money to bosha?
LT tell me am i not allowed to comment?
is it becoz i talked about regina ok am sorry LT i know she is your bululu
Point of correction. Its 30 months sentence.
You must forgive those who have loss of memory syndrom( LMS).
like Dora
Thank but can pliz convert 30 months to years. I
said almost.
Thank you, but can you pliz convert 30 months to years. I said alomost
But kwena Doras ignorance leaves so much to be desired, Masters Degree holder signing documents without reading.What if she was signing a MoU of been killed,bupubafye Dora,it cant be loss of memory but lack of knowledge.Portraying her naivity in public,God help us!!!!!!!!!
I dont think she did that, she just wants people to think that she didnt know what she was doing and yet she knew nomba yazanda.
Zoe, Does Dora hold a Master or is it a nessary certificate from Chibelo Community centre.
She sounds like some one who has nevee been to school. we must investigate.
30 Months for two goats or two golden goats? Sincerely speaking I do not know which parameters are used when passing such sentences.
Anyway he is now sure of eating more than two goats in 30 months while in prison. Or do they serve beef? Anyone who has been to prison in Zambia please enlighten me on prison food.
Jamaco,
why ask , the menu is still the same as when you were in some years back.
ASk Zoe , she knows.
Ba Honey u owez pick on me,wat have i done 2u? Have i been 2prison?
That`s the last place you want to be J. If people on the out side survive on Mangoes do you think you would get play station 3 or X-box in there? No wonder these illegals are always offending here. It`s bling bling J. Na gym for free, the guys even have six packs! lol!
The judge is just following the law. May be we need to appeal to our MPs to revisit this law, especially in the light of sentencing from corruption cases. I guess it is lawyers who are saving the rich. They are able to counter judges’ sentences e.g Regina’s.
Another way of looking at it is to offer legal aid to poor people like this goat thief.
In any case, stern punishment is needed in order to deter stealing, whether it is maize cobs, goats, or tax payers’ money. If the punishment is not prohibitive, people will continue stealing other people’s property.
What a shame!What sort of justice system do we have in Zambia?
Uyu entence pa mbushi shibili, two goats, akalipiisha. How old were these goats b judge? limbi 2 elephants, 30 months ee nasumina, not 2 goat. Canibaba.
Imwe tembushi shibili fye aibile awe. Icabipishe aliiba nakabushi(bamba) kamwine wambushi eeeh bane.