By Lucy Phiri
A COUPLE of Lusaka’s Chelstone area has been sentenced to twelve months imprisonment for trafficking in 5.6kg of Cannabis with no lawful authority.
Sylvester Mutale and Charity Bota pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court to pardon them as they had learnt their lesson in prison.
The couple said they had little children at home and that there was no one to take care of them.
Bota begged the court whilst crying loudly saying she will never sell drugs again and that at least one of them should be pardoned.
“I don’t know where my children are, and no one can keep them for me, please may the court at least pardon one of us,” she lamented.
Meanwhile her husband, Mulenga pleaded with the court to at least pardon his wife and jail him instead.
“I Am asking this court to let my wife go home and jail me on her behalf. I Am ready to sacrifice for my wife,” he said.
The couple said they sold drugs for a living as it was their only form of sustenance.
And Mulenga said he had warned his wife to stop selling but she insisted and never stopped.
The court told Mulenga, it was impossible to be crucified on behalf of someone as it was each one for himself matter.
“You are not setting a good example to your children, and you are the reason why youths out there are being destroyed, I will fail in my duties if I will not give you a punishment for the offence you have committed is serious,” the Court said.
This is a matter in which the two are accused of trafficking in psychotropic substances in contradiction of Act no. 35 of 2021 of the Laws of Zambia.
The Court therefore sentenced them to one year imprisonment with hard labor, and should serve separately.
