A 45-year-old man from Kabangwe, Kelvin Matongo, has been sentenced to one week in prison for stealing 18 cobs of maize worth K180.
However, the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court exercised leniency and suspended the sentence for two weeks.
Magistrate Chrispine Hampungani, while delivering the ruling, acknowledged Matongo’s plea for forgiveness.
In his mitigation, Matongo, a father of three, explained that he was the sole breadwinner for his family, including his ailing father-in-law, who is unable to walk due to a stroke.
“I think it was just hunger that led me to commit the act,” he said, pleading for mercy.
In response, Magistrate Hampungani noted that at 45, Matongo was still energetic and capable of farming his own maize rather than resorting to theft.
“I sentence you to one week imprisonment, but I will exercise leniency and suspend your sentence for two weeks so that you go home, be a good citizen, and cultivate your own maize while it is still raining,” the magistrate ruled.
Matongo was charged with theft, contrary to Section 272 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. He committed the offense on February 17, 2025, in Lusaka, stealing the maize from Rodwell Mvula.
