Chicken thieves get 12 months jail time
BY LUCY PHIRI
TWO men of Lusaka’s Kalikiliki compound have been slapped with 12 monthsimprisonment with hard labour for stealing 70 chickens on Christmas Eve.
Ndinda Ndinda, aged 24, and Pumulo Sitali, 21, pleaded guilty to the charge of theft by servant contrary to section 272 and 278 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
The two said the reason they stole was that their boss never used to pay them on time and that they couldn’t find ways to provide for their families.
Ndinda and Sitali pleaded for forgiveness from the court saying it wasn’t their fault but it was due to non-payment and sometimes delayed salaries.
We are not denying the charge, yes we stole the chickens, and they were not 70 but 59, we never even sold them, they caught us before taking them to the market, they said in mitigation.
It is alleged that on December 24, 2021, David Chitampa the owner of the farm where the accused persons used to work, received a call from his security guard Mulenga Mubanga, informing him that his other workers stole some chickens and were selling in the market.
After checking and confirming that 70 chickens were missing, and the door of the chicken run was open, Mubanga then reported the matter to the police and the twowere apprehended.
After hearing their mitigation, the Court said the offence committed was serious and they needed to be punished.
The court therefore sentenced each of them to one year imprisonment with hard labour.
