Three Barotseland activists were yesterday jailed three years each with hard labour by a Kaoma Magistrate’s Court for publication of false news with intent to cause fear or alarm to the public.
Passing sentence, magistrate Julius Malata said the offence committed by Nayoto Mwenda, 32, Boris Muziba, 36, and Sikwibele Wasilota, 33, was a misdemeanour and the convicts’ conduct during trial was not good.Magistrate Malata said the prosecution had proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt.
Mr Malata said the court imposed the punishment order to deter would-be offenders, adding that the trio did not show remorse even after being arrested.
He said Zambia is a unitary State and it includes Western Province and that any offender, Zambian or non-Zambian, is liable to prosecution.
In mitigation, the trio maintained that the case be transferred to the Commonwealth Court.
Mwenda said the matter should not have been tried by a Zambian court while Wasilota said the case should have been taken to an “independent” court.
Magistrate Malata said, however, that he had heard their mitigation, adding that the offence was serious. He informed the convicts of their right of appeal to the High Court.
After the judgment before a fully parked court and amid tight police security, some sympathisers started crying while others sang solidarity songs as the trio was whisked away to Kaoma State Prison
Ex Zedian
August 2, 2014 at 9:20 am
ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION
THE BLOGGER
August 2, 2014 at 9:40 am
Why keep fighting a LOOSING BATTLE??
If u can’t defeat them,,,just join them period. Otherwise there will be no any other Independence inside Independence and let this simple and plain truth sink deep in OUR WESTERN BRETHLENS!!
manhimself
August 2, 2014 at 9:56 am
If Zambia was to be divided today;who can be responsible?
ZAD
August 2, 2014 at 11:21 am
Just jail them 77 times 7 years. this is one zambia one nation. lets love our beautiful country.
tutu
August 2, 2014 at 12:11 pm
1 zambia 1 nation 1 kateka 1 sata pabwatoooooh!!!!!!!! mwechilye ngamwabapelefye life pantu ngafyafuma muchifungo emptiness namaka nokucita recruit abengi…ku commonwealth court mulemona kwati kwakutwala amabolo imwe ba kwindi ba fumbafu ba makaka
icinshikululwa; KUSHALILA KWAMUTUNDU NSHI uku kanshi imwe bamunine fwe MWE BALOZI???
August 2, 2014 at 12:26 pm
@Balose activities; UKUSHALILA; from which slamber mwebantu imWE kanshi?
Denkete
August 3, 2014 at 5:56 am
life imprisonment cud hav bin better.