In Zambia, a teacher in the capital Lusaka has been sentenced to death by hanging after he killed ex-wife in February 2019.
Mr Kenneth Makina, a former teacher at Nyumba Yanga Secondary School, was charged with murder and causing grievous bodily harm. He has been found guilty on both of these counts.
On February 13, 2019, Mr Makina shot dead his ex-wife Charity Jikubi who was a police officer and on the same day, with intent to maim, destroy, or disable, caused grievous bodily harm to Dr Eustone Kapotwe, his landlord, by shooting him in his right thigh.
Dr Kapotwe was shot after he tried to intervene in the altercation between Mr Makina and Ms Jikubi.
Passing judgement in the matter, Lusaka High Court judge Pixie Yangailo found Mr Makina guilty on both counts and sentenced him to death by hanging for killing Jikubi and 25 years years with hard labour with effect from date of arrest for causing grievous bodily harm to Dr Kapotwe.
According to evidence on record, Ms Jikubi, in the company of her niece and carpenter, on the fateful day went to collect a wardrobe from her former husband’s house in Woodlands around 08:00 hours as she was relocating to Ndola.
It was heard that when Ms Jikubi, her niece and carpenter in the company of the landlord, Dr Kapotwe reached the guest wing where Mr Makina was, he ordered that only the carpenter should enter his house.
The carpenter proceeded inside to dismantle the wardrobe but took long, prompting Ms Jikubi to call his name while telling him that he was delaying her as she was supposed to leave for the Copperbelt.
This angered Mr Makina who claimed that Ms Jikubi was making noise for him and fired a gunshot which missed her.
When she tried to run away, Mr Makina followed her outside the gate and shot her and he later charged towards Dr Kapotwe and shot at him too.
Judge Yangailo convicted him in both counts.
“The deceased only wanted to collect the wardrobe and you Kenneth Makina killed her for it. I observed your demeanor throughout trial and you did not appear remorseful or hurt that someone who was personally known to you and lived with you at some point died as a result of your actions,” the judge said.
She said Mr Makina’s defence that he was provoked by his former wife after she insulted him was not true because he failed to prove the same allegations of insults touching on his private parts.
“You now have to face the consequences of your actions as the offences for which you have been convicted carry up to life sentence and a mandatory sentence of death in the absence of extenuating circumstances respectively,” judge Yangailo said.
