Court jails couple for selling boy to businessman

April 5, 2015 Louis Phiri- Nyasa Times 44 Comments

A couple that stunned residents of Zomba city for selling a seven year old relation to a businessperson in the city has been convicted of human trafficking and subsequently sentenced to prison by the Chief Resident Magistrate Court.

The court heard that Jonathan Mkoma and his wife Veronica Malikebu sold the boy whom they had picked from the wife’s home in 2013 to businessman Joseph Samuel Kapinga at a K350,000  and received the money in two instalments.

They were arrested after an uncle to the boy reported the matter to police in Zomba upon getting unconvinced when the family explained to him that the boy had died of malaria.

The courtroom was engulfed with total silence and an air of anxiety when Senior Resident Magistrate Tamanda Nyimba read out the judgment on behalf of acting Chief Resident Magistrate Jean Kaira before which the case came.

The offence of human trafficking contravenes Sections 82 (a) and 83 of the Penal Code and attracts a maximum penalty of ten years IHL.

The Magistrate however gave Mkona five years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) but four years and two months IHL to his wife.

The Magistrate said that the court had reduced the punishment because other than being first offenders, the two did not waste time of the court as they admitted to the charge, confessed and apologised.

The case attracted a large following that included business tycoons, civil society leaders and students from around the city.

Before passing judgement, the husband told the court in mitigation that he had acted out the stings of poverty while his wife said it was out of illness, and also sought the court’s lenience as first offenders.

The convicts come from Sadyalunda village in traditional authority Sawadi in Balaka district.

The case against of the businessman is still on.

The child is fit and well.

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44 replies on “Court jails couple for selling boy to businessman”

  2. Mijomba kukonda chuma chokhwimira kwabasi.It is always balaka and Machinga making headlines on such issues.

  4. Clarify for me 1) is the boy still alive and rescued, where is he? concerned about his welfare. 2) did the buyer go Scot free? Why? Tell us more. 3) was the boy sold into slavery or for money-churning rituals?

  6. Waiting for Kaliati to say something. This is total satanism. Five years in jail is promoting bad things in Mw. NGO and child protection workers intervene.

  11. Umbuli ndi matenda akanakhala wakumpoto apa benzi utamva a b c d koma poti nkwawo komwe kkkkkkk stupit musova

  14. Comment
    Ndiye kuti zinayamba kale umphawi ndikufuna kulemeraso ndikufuna podzipereka pa ntchito

    1. m’bale wanga T/A Sawali anthu ache 3/4s ndiochokera ku Zomba BLK ndi boma limodzi mwa maboma omwe ali ndi ma immigrants ambiri. nchifukwa chache kuli chimpwilikiti cha zochitika chitika.

  23. Zaka zingati? They’re encoraged to continue with their bad behaviour. How can they say the child is dead when they sold him? Such people are not wanted in our communities. Although they didn’t waste court’s time, they made false statements to other people. Pliz think about what they did and give them suitable punishment to STOP THIS BAD BEHAVIOUR. That boy would have been killed by now. Let the be in jail zaka zachepa izi. How can you stop crimes when people only spend few days in jail. THINK TWICE!

  24. ndichifukwa chake timangowapha anthuwa akagwidwa.chigamulo chake chimenechi? chamanyichi? panja ma jaji ndinu masatana eeeee

  25. And what punishment has been given to the buyer. Ogulayo nayenso ndi mchitidwe wake ogula ana. Nanga banja ili linadziwa bwanji kuti akapita kwa mkulu ameneyu akawagula mwanayo.

    The Buyer should also be punished for encouraging that kind of behaviour.

  26. What about the buyer? this Kapinga guy? Infact he should have been the first person to be prisoned. Does he have any relations with Police? why is the police not acting? wapasa chani apolisi? aaaaaagh apa pali chinyengo kwambiri.

    1. guyz musathe mawu. kapinga z still in custody cause he denied the charges, matter will come 4 hearing on 15 april.

  27. mwawachepetsera chilango anthu ena atengera bwanji phunziro.Inu amakhoti ndinu anthu okondera ana asatana koma akanakhala kuti waba nkhuku munampasa chilango cha zaka teni.Mulungu akuthandizeni kuti mulape kusowa chilungamo kwanuko.

  29. Kapingayo naye akalowe musamusiye wapha ndikugulitsa anthu ambiri ameneyo, kapena wakudyesani kenakake? tithana naye kunja konkuno ameneyo

  31. Comment:Makhoti mumapangitsa kuti anthu adzipanga zimene kamba kachilango chanu chimene m’mapereka kwa anthu otereo.Kuli bwanji akagulitsa mwana wanu pankhani imeneyi mkanaweruza choncho?

  36. When an aldulteres woman was brought to Jesus,he asked them a simple question; Where is the other? Meaning,mkaziyo chiwerewere saankapanga yekha. Now,where is the other one left out? Hahahaha!

  38. Eeee!basi zachibwana basi.pepani zachepa zakazika.Inu amakhoti bwanji mukuserera zachibwana?ngati chigamulo chikukulepherani liuzeni Dziko enafe tikhiza kuchitapo kanthu.kuno ku malawi ndikwathu ife zachibwana sitikuna ayi.chigamulo chanuchi mai aaaaaa! Chikuonetsa kufoka kwanu.ndinu olepherazedi.ndiye paja munthu ujayu ndi ochita ukwatitsa aaaaa basi tikadzafika ku malawi zidzasinthabe tavutika.

  39. Kapingayo ndiye mukamusiya osamugamula zaka ndithu a khothi mwadyapo zanu!!!! Koma ndiye timuotcha chifukwa wapha anthu ambili ameneyo. Patricia Kaliyati nkhanitu iyi-tione zomwe umpange paja umakhala patsogolo kulankhula za ‘human traficking’ shaaaa! koma umphawiwu

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