First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Balaka has convicted and ordered a 64-year-old driver,  to pay a fine of K315,000.00 or in default serve 18 months imprisonment with hard labor for causing death by reckless driving and endangering passengers traveling by road.

State prosecutor Superintendent Bodwin Msukwa has identified the convict as Twelve Namalaga and told the court that the driver committed the offence on July 29, 2023 at Sopo Area along Chingeni-Zalewa road in the district of Balaka while driving a motor vehicle, a Toyota Dyna Lorry, recklessly hit to death Petro Solomon, aged 30.

The court further heard that on the same day, while driving the vehicle along the Chingeni-Zalewa road in the district of Balaka, the driver also endangered the safety of passengers travelling by road.

Appearing before court, the driver pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him and asked for the court’s leniency.

In his submission, state prosecutor Superintendent Bodwin Msukwa pleaded with the court to mete out a stiff punishment to the offender, to send a caution to other would-be offenders.

Presiding over the case, First Grade Magistrate Phillip Chibwana concurred with the state’s submissions and ordered the driver to pay a fine of K65,000.00 for the first count of endangering safety of passengers travelling by road and K250,000.00 for the second count of causing death by reckless driving, all totalling K315,000.00, or in default serve 18 months imprisonment with hard labour.

Twelve Namalaga hails from Chikumba Village in the area of Traditional Authority Changata in Thyolo District.