The First Grade Magistrate’s court sitting in Mzimba district has on January 08, 2024, convicted and sentenced Steven Chitedze 29, and Gibson Makutu 47 to pay a fine of K30,000 each or in default serve a nine months imprisonment with hard labour for possessing explosives without permit at Jenda in the district.

Presenting the facts in court, the state Prosecutor sergeant Reverand Gondwe said Steven Chitedze was apprehended on December 23, 2023 at an ad hoc roadblock mounted by Jenda Police during the night in transit to Lilongwe with six cartoons of explosive blasting type E (Explosives Used in quary mines for blasting stones) without supporting documents.

He further told the court that Chitedze was travelling with these explosives in a public passenger vehicle, endangering the lives of other passengers in that said vehicle. The court also learnt that Chitedze was just a carrier but the explosives belonged to Gibson Makutu who is also his employer.

Appearing before court, both accused pleaded guilty to the offence,

During mitigation, the convicts asked the court for leniency stating that they were breadwinners of their families. Gondwe, however, asked for a stiffer punishment bearing in mind that the explosives were dangerous and they were being ferried without following security procedures nor had security clearance from responsible agencies.

In passing the sentence, Magistrate Redson Gamaliel concurred with the state, though he noted that the offence is a misdemeanour under the laws of Malawi, hence he sentenced both convicts to pay a fine of K30,000 each or in default to serve a nine months imprisonment with hard labour.

Gibson Makutu hails from Chigwamowa village, Traditional Authority Chankhumbira in Ntcheu district while Steven Chitedze hails from Chilunga village, Traditional Authority Chitukula in Lilongwe district.