CHOMBA MUSIKA
Lusaka
TO HELP curtail the violent conduct of instant justice mobs, the Lusaka High Court has sentenced to life imprisonment a father, his son and a nephew for being part of a group which killed a suspected thief in Lusaka.
Vincent Nkonde, his son, Vincent Mwamba-Nkonde, and nephew Martin Nkoloma were jailed after being found guilty of murdering the man and dumping his body along the Ring Road area.
Passing sentence on Friday last week, Lusaka High Court Judge Sharon Newa said she needed to punish the convicts to send a warning against instant justice mob.
The adjudicator said Mr Nkonde, who was a neighbourhood watch association chairperson at the time, and others took the law into their own hands.
The court heard that the victim, who appeared drunk, was mistaken for a thief after he tried to open a door at a stranger’s house in Lusaka’s Chalala.
“The first convict, Mr Nkonde [senior] was a member of the neighbourhood watch association, which helps police to maintain law and order in communities and not to kill suspects.
“He (Mr Nkonde) made no efforts to ensure that the deceased was taken to the police station, alive.”
Judge Newa said the convicts were wrong to descend on the victim in a manner they did, and that agreeing with their conduct would be normalising violence.
“It is, therefore, my finding that there are no extenuating circumstances and I, therefore, sentence all three suspects to life imprisonment,” she said.
Earlier in mitigation, Mr Mwamba, through his lawyers, submitted that he is a breadwinner and father of five – two school-going – and that his wife suffered a stroke and is unable to talk or walk.
The convict, who is over 50, also told the court that he is a dedicated member of St Mark the Evangelist Church, and was about to be suited as a Joachim.
His son, Vincent, an epileptic who experienced seizures in the course of the trial after falling during a scene visit, pleaded for leniency because of ill health, adding that he has high blood pressure (BP).
He said prior to his arrest, he was a youth chairperson at St Mark the Evangelist Church.
Martin, a Grade Nine pupil, said he is a first offender.
Evidence was that sometime last year, Mr Nkonde was awakened from his sleep by his neighbour, Mercy Lombe.
Ms Lombe called Mr Nkonde to her house and the latter went there with Vincent and Martin, who found a mob beating the victim.
The three men joined in beating the victim before dumping the body across Ring Road.
Evidence was that Ms Lombe initially thought the victim was a thief as he tried to open the door to her house.
After the victim was apprehended, her view was that the man just appeared drunk and not a thief, as he was not aggressive and pleaded for his life.
He was not found with any stolen item.
But the mob descended on him and assaulted him with various weapons, including iron bars…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
