Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Court has fined 14 bicycle taxi operators 100 thousand Kwacha each or in default serve a three-year jail term for setting on fire a motorcycle belonging to the chairperson of Kabaza Association in the city.
The incident happened on 8th February 2016 when Joseph Sitima, with his fellow leaders of Kabaza Association, were invited to a meeting at Mzuzu Police Station. Sitima is reported to have his motorcycle registration number BS 7252 worth K1.3 million with his friend.
According to Mzuzu Police Station Deputy Public Relations Officer, Cecilia Mfune, the suspects became angry upon hearing about the meeting. So they took the chairperson’s (Sitima’s) motorcycle to Chibavi junction near St John of God and “willingly and unlawfully burnt it to ashes.”
“The court heard that in 2015, Mzuzu Police Station was overwhelmed with the upsurge of traffic accidents involving Kabaza operators on daily basis.
“So to avoid such accidents, police allocated all Kabaza operators to designated points. Unfortunately, the suspects were not happy with such an arrangement so they blamed their chairperson for siding with the police [hence the offence],” said the police spokesperson.
However, after parading state witnesses, on 24th May 2016, the presiding Senior Resident Magistrate Anthony Banda convicted the 14 bicycle operators to a joint MK1.4 million for malicious damage.
The offenders include Davis Mhango, 25, Chimwemwe Soko 25, Steven Mtambo 31, Amos Phiri 16, Charles Mkandawire 19, Juman Phiri 23, Thom Kaunda 23, Fabian Mbewe 30, Innocent Mkandawire 22, Likwambe 18, Petros Ndhuli 20, Rastin Ndhuli 18, and Stuart Magawa 25.
In mitigation, they told the court they are bread winners of their families and asked for lenient sentences. However, as a lesson to other would-be offenders, the court slapped them with the said fine.
So far, none of the fourteen have paid the fine, implying they have been committed to prison to serve a three year jail term each.
Meanwhile, Mzuzu Police have confirmed their operation of controlling bicycle taxis in the city is succeeding as accidents involving the kabazas have significantly been reduced.
