Six years jail for child trafficking
The Zomba Senior Resident Magistrate court has sentenced a 26 year old man Zipangani Naminga to 6 years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) after being found guilty for an offence of child trafficking.
The court heard from Eastern Region Prosecution Inspector Superintendent Patrick Chambuluka who represented the state that the convict between 16th and 19th July, 2018 at Mayaka Trading Centre in the district of Zomba attempted to traffic two teenagers Jonathan Edison (14) and Yanjanani Edison (16) to the neighbouring Republic of Mozambique.
The purpose was for the two teenagers to get employed in the farms without the consent of their parents or guardians; which is contrary to section 21(1)(a) of Trafficking in Persons Act number 3 of 2015 as read with section 15.
Chambuluka said the convict was arrested by members of the general public who later handed him to Mayaka Police Unit.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him and the court convicted him on his own plea of guilty.
In his submission before sentence, the RPI Superintendent Chambuluka pleaded with the court to impose a stiffer sentence considering the nature of the office.
He said what the convict did really placed the victims life in danger as they were exposed to all forms of inhuman treatment.
He further said that it is unfortunate that despite the interventions the government and nongovernmental organizations are putting in place in the fight against human trafficking, there are some people like the convict who are being retrogressive.
He therefore asked the court to impose a stiffer custodial sentence so that it should be a lesson to him and would be offenders.
But in mitigation, the convict pleaded for forgiveness saying that he was not aware that what he was doing was an offence and that he has a family to look after.
Passing his judgement on 27th July, 2018, his worship Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe concurred with the state on the need to impose a stiffer sentence saying that what the convict did really placed the victims’ life in danger.
He therefore sentenced him to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour on each of the two counts but the sentences are to run concurrently.
Zipangani Naminga comes from Chisawa village, in the area of Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba district while the victims are from Makaisa village, Traditional Authority M’biza in the same district of Zomba.
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