Six PF cadres sentenced for illegal land allocation

Six Patriotic Front cadres have been sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for 12 monts for illegal land allocation in Lusaka.

Lusaka Magistrate, Emmie Masoja Mbewe, in passing her sentence told the six convicts that she had considered all they had said in their mitigation but that there is need to deter other would-be offenders in society.

Magistrate Mbewe said such cases have been rampant in society but that some people have been doing it because of ignorance for the law and influence from other people.

She, however, warned the six that she had suspended the three months for twelve months in which they should not commit any offence failure to which they risk being sent to prison.

The six cadres, namely Shadrick Mumba, aged 27, Philip Mwanza, 21, Richard Phiri, 24, Ackim Mwanza, 26, Clement Kamwandi, 30, and Clive Mweemba, 27, all of Lusaka’s Kanyama Township, were found guilty of criminal trespass last week.

Particulars of the offence were that the six on October 16, 2012, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, unlawfully did enter the premises of Zama Mkwamadzi with intent to destroy his property.

Last week when the matter came up, magistrate Mbewe advised the six cadres who complained of the bad state of the prison cells to go back and campaign in the cells so that the cells can be improved since they claimed to be coming from the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Mbewe has sentenced Clement Kamwandi to three months imprisonment with hard labour for assault contrary to Section 248 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

Kamwandi is alleged to have assaulted Mackmore Mbote, a nephew of Mr Mkwamadzi after he tried to stop Kamwandi and other persons unknown as they attempted to trespass on his uncle’s plot.