WOMAN JAILED FOR STABBING HUBBY

A 23-YEAR OLD woman of Kawama Township in Kitwe will serve a three-year jail term for stabbing her husband of six years with a knife.

Grace Mhango was in court for unlawful wounding after she stabbed her husband during a martial dispute on January 24, this year.

Kitwe Senior Resident Magistrate Owen Mwansa Chibalo said he was not in support of what the complainant had done but that Zambia has continued to lose young and vibrant men due to gender-based violence (GBV).

The husband, Dickson Ndonji, had repeatedly beaten the wife and dragged her to the kitchen where he threatened to cut her to pieces, but she fought back and stabbed him with a knife.

Mr Chibalo said cases of GBV had become prevalent with so many deaths and he was therefore duty bound to give a punishment that would deter would-be offenders.

Mhango told the court that after a dispute, her husband started beating her and she pretended to lose consciousness hoping that he would stop, but he continued beating her and dragged her to the kitchen.

Mhango said her husband threatened to cut her into pieces with a machete and it was at this point that she grabbed a knife to free herself from his grip.

However, she only realised that it was a knife after she had already stabbed him.

Mr Chibalo noted that the woman did not go to the kitchen to grab the knife, but maintained that the offence was still serious and found her guilty as charged.

Mhango said in mitigation that she is a mother of two small children, a four-year- old and one-year old and if sent to the correctional facility, no one would look after them.

She also looked after her mother and that she was a first offender.

Mr Chibalo said cases of GBV needed to be disposed of quickly and sentenced her to three years simple imprisonment.