Rabecca Banda writes
@SunZambian
A Lusaka man has been jailed 30 months for stealing property worth K12,220.
Appearing at the Lusaka magistrates court before magistrate Nsunge Chanda was Innocent Ngoma 28 accused of breaking into the house of Valentina Banda on August 11, 2020.
Facts before magistrate Nsunge Chanda were that Valentina Banda went to Kitwe to visit her sister.
While there, she received a call from her neighbor Patricia Mulakwa who informed her that thieves had broken into her house.
The following day, Banda traveled back to Lusaka and reported the matter to the police.
Magistrate: Do you know the complainant?
Ngoma: Yes.
Magistrate: How did you enter her house?
Ngoma: She had gone for work. I damaged the door and entered.
Magistrate: What did you steal?
Ngoma: I stole a 69 inch television set and two containers of cooking.
Magistrate: How did you carry those things?
Ngoma: I was with my friend Emmanuel Tembo.
Magistrate: where is your friend ?
Ngoma: He was released at Kabangwe police station.
Ngoma pleaded for mercy saying he did not know what he was doing and what got into him.
Magistrate Chanda said people work hard to earn the property they have in their homes and Ngoma can’t go and break into someone’s house and have all those things in one day.
She said for him to break into someone’s house, meaning he has advanced from the simple thefts and deserves to be punished for his actions.
The court jailed Ngoma 30 months imprisonment with hard labour.
