Mother gets 30 months jail term for abandoning children

A mother in Mangochi will serve a one and half year jail term for abandoning and failing to provide for her children.

This is the second time that Laika Mussah, 28, abandoned and failed to provide for her children.

The children are now in the care of Social Welfare office as Mussah starts serving her jail sentence.

The Mangochi Second Grade Magistrate’s Court ordered Mussah to serve the 30 month-jail-term in prison for neglecting to provide food and necessities to her children, contrary to section 165 of the Penal Code.

The court heard through prosecutor Maston Chitsonga that on February 13, 2024 that the convict, who stays at Mpima Trading Centre, T/A Chimwala in the district, left her two children (aged 5 and 3 years) unattended and went to Mangochi Boma to operate her business and was away for four days.

The prosecutor added that the situation led the kids to be helpless and were just loitering within the village looking for food, which prompted the well-wishers to tip the police who arrested the convict.

“After being released Mussah was counseled and she promised to change. But surprisingly few days later, the convict again abandoned the kids for a week and villagers tipped  police and Social Welfare Officials, who jointly arrested the convict and took the children for upkeep,” said Chitsonga.

In her mitigation, the convict asked for leniency while vowing that she will change, a plea Second Grade Magistrate Baxter Chikalimba quashed.

He, therefore, sentenced her a 30-month jail term so that she should reform.

Mussah hails from Mdala Makumba Village, Traditional Authority Chowe in the district.