ZAMBIA – A 53 year old Chinese man in Chinsali District has been sentenced to two weeks’ community service by a magistrate’s court after being found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Zhu Yongjiang, a foreman at Musanya Construction Camp, was charged with attacking a 34-year-old coworker called Edwin Mungulube with a taser gun, causing swelling to Mr Mungulube’s left arm.

Mr Yongjiang had the weapon confiscated and appeared before Chinsali’s Senior Resident Magistrate Julius Malata, who found him guilty of the assault.

During the trial, the defendant pleaded for leniency from the court, saying that he regretted his actions:

“I understand that what I did was wrong and am sorry, may the court forgive me,” he begged.

Magistrate Malata heard his plea but concluded that the crime was serious enough to warrant punishment.

He therefore sentenced Mr Yongjiang to two weeks’ community service so that he can learn to respect the local people of Zambia in the same way he respects his fellow Chinese nationals.

People who attended court were extremely shocked with the sentence.