Lilongwe First Magistrate Court on Friday convicted and fined a 38 year- old Robert Chazondewa of Mwagelele Village, Traditional Authority Kaomba in Kasungu for killing an eight year old girl in reckless driving.
The man was fined K500, 000 and banned from having a driving licence for three years.
According to Kasungu Police Deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO), Harry Namwaza, Senior Superintendent of Central Region Police Headquarters Cecilia Zangazanga told the court that in March 2018, Chazondewa due to over speeding hit a girl identified as Austrida Mwela near Chitete Bridge along M18 road.
“The deceased was coming from school and was on her way home when she was hit. This was due to the excessive speeding of the driver at a place where speeding is strictly prohibited,” Namwaza said.
In Mitigation, Chazondewa is said to have pleaded guilty to all the four charges leveled against him but pleaded for a lenient sentence since he was a first offender and has a big family he supports.
He observed that the family would suffer in his absence.
Zangazanga brushed off Chazondewa’s plea, saying a life was lost due to his reckless behavior.
Before passing the sentence, the Lilongwe First Grade Magistrate, His Worship Msokera observed that there is a growing tendency of drivers who don’t care about other road users.
Apart from being charged for causing death by reckless driving which is contrary to section 126(4) of the road traffic act, Chazondewa was charged with other three counts of driving a motor vehicle without a driver’s licence which is contrary to section 167(3), driving uninsured motor vehicle contrary to section 141(2) and driving a vehicle without certificate of fitness contrary to section 74(1), all drawn from the Road traffic act.
Meanwhile, Chasondewa has paid the fine with 90 per cent of the money expected to go to the deceased family and the other 10 per cent to government.
