The Lusaka High Court has sentenced a 22-year-old student to four years imprisonment with hard labour for causing the death of four people during a car race on Kafue Road. Judge Catherine Phiri convicted Simon Adhanon after the State proved its case.

The court heard that Adhanon was over-speeding in what appeared to be a car racing activity while in the company of his friends.
On August 17, 2017, Adhanon lost control of the motor vehicle he was driving due to excessive speed resulting in the overturning of the vehicle and subsequently pupilshitting three pedestrians.

Adhanon’s friend, who was with him in the car, also died. Judge Phiri established that there was an element of recklessness in the manner Adhanon conducted himself on the road. She also dismissed his defence that he hooted on the victims and that his car lost control and hit into them.
In mitigation, his lawyer, Keith Mweemba, asked the court to exercise lenient on grounds that Adhanon was remorseful. But judge Phiri said she took into consideration the mitigation but had to send Adhanon to jail to deter would-be offenders.

“This sentence will serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders as deaths on the road have become prevalent,” she said. And the Lusaka Fast Track Court on road traffic offences has convicted and sentenced a 23-year-old man of Kamwala South township to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for obtaining a drivers’ licence by false pretences.

Magistrate Annie Holland sentenced Thomas Tembo for undertaking a reverse test at he Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Ridgeway Station on behalf of Prince Tembo without lawful authority. RTSA head of public relations Frederick Mubanga said in a statement yesterday that Mr Tembo, on September 10, 2018, in Lusaka, wilfully attempted to procure a driving licence for another person by false pretences.

“After the test was successful, an alert RTSA officer, who was charged with the responsibility of monitoring the reverse test circuit, noticed that the person who had undertaken the test was Thomas and not Prince Tembo,” he said. Mr Mubanga said the agency hopes the conviction of Mr Tembo will act as a deterrent measure to would-be offenders and send a strong self-control signal to others to strictly adhere to laid down procedure of obtaining a drivers’ licence.