The Mwense Magistrates court has sentenced a 34-year-old man of Mulundu village to 12 months concurrent imprisonment with hard labour for two counts of theft contrary to section 272 of the penal code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
This is in a matter in which Simon Kunda masquerading as a traditional healer operating as Dr Mwiko is alleged to have obtained money amounting to K 1,500 belonging to Jacob Mwape and Ireen Chisha respectively.
This is after he claimed he would heal their sicknesses.
In the first count, Kunda is said to have Charged Mwape K 1000 on the pretext that he would give him treatment for his ailing feet.
In count two the now convict is alleged to have charged Chisha a K 500 as payment to treat her stomach pains.
The two complainants are said to have paid the money in full respectively after Kunda refused the 50 percent down payment claiming that the spirits being consulted demanded full payments before treatment could be given.
Testifying before Magistrate Fred Mwangala, the two complainants said that Kunda however vanished without offering the required services and was only arrested a few months after he was spotted in public.
In mitigation, Kunda prayed for the court’s leniency saying he was a poor man.
“Am a poor man so I ask the court to forgive me otherwise I have nothing more to say,” Kunda begged.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mwangala noted that the victims from whom the now convict had stolen the money were also not rich.
Magistrate Mwangala ruled that Kunda should be given a custodial sentence at a correctional facility for reformation.
Magistrate Mwangala handed Kunda eight months imprisonment on each count to run concurrently.
However, Magistrate Mwangala immediately increased the sentence to 12 months imprisonment after the convict warned the complainants as he stood down from the dock.
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