Fast Track Court fines 30 for traffic offences

OVER 30 people were on Thursday last week fined on various road traffic offences at the Fast Track Court.
Appearing before magistrate Faides Hamaundu, was Kennedy Chanda, 46, charged for dangerous driving.
In mitigation, he apologised   and pleaded for leniency over his action and promised not to commit the same offence.
The court fined him K1,350 failure to which he will be sent to four months imprisonment.
And Danny Zulu, 47, a Civil servant was charged for careless driving. He admitted the charge which he committed on March 5, 2014.
The court asked him if he had exercised dual care and attention when he committed the offence for which he answered in the negative.
He was fined K135 failure to which he will be jailed for two weeks simple imprisonment.
Another offender, Naomi Mukelabai, 34, was also charged K135 for careless driving.
In mitigation, Mukelabai apologised for her action and promised not to commit the same offence.
The court also charged Brenda Mulenga of Chawama Township on the three offences she committed of driving a vehicle without a driver’s licence, road tax and valued certificate of fitness.
Mulenga was fined K270, K804 and K270 for the three offences or sent to prison in default.
On the other hand, Rodgers Mwanza also of Chawama was fined K270 for permitting unlicensed driver to drive his vehicle on March 5, 2014.
Mwanza admitted to having no lawful jurisdiction to permit unlicensed driver to drive his car when the court asked him.
Meanwhile, a witness from the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RSTA) has testified in a case which came up for plea in which Samson Nyirenda committed several traffic offences.
RSTA road traffic inspector Kabika Songolo, 30, told the court that the three traffic offences Nyirenda committed were driving a vehicle whilst talking on the phone, driving the same vehicle with expired road tax and without wearing a seat belt.
In his defence, Nyirenda sent the court roaring into laughter when he struggled to justify his action saying he doesn’t know what the traffic rules state on the matter.
The matter was adjourned to March 10, 2014 for judgment.
Another RSTA witness testified before the court in a matter that came up for trial in which Benson Ngonta committed a traffic offence of dangerous driving.
RSTA road inspector Andrew Chinyimba, 62, told the court that whilst on duty he witnessed Ngonta commit the offence along Freedom Way on January 29, 2014.
“I cautioned Ngonta when he ignored traffic rules by making a dangerous U-turn along Freedom way,” Chinyimba said.
But Ngonta wondered why he was charged for dangerous driving instead of failure to obey traffic signs.
The matter was adjourned to March 14 for judgment.