Local News

Sumbawanga man killed for stealing maize

AN irate mob in Jagwani-Makuzani village, Sumbawanga Municipality, brutally murdered a man accusing him of stealing green maize from a nearby farm recently.

The Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Jacob Mwaruanda  told  the 'Daily News'  that the incident  occurred  on Saturday morning at Jagwani-Makuzani  village in Sumbawanga. He added that the victim Baraka Sandaresi,16, resident  of the same village was allegedly caught red-handed, stealing green maize from Moses Isack's farm.

According to the RPC,  the irate mob  armed with crude  weapons including  stones  and  clubs immediately attacked   Sandaresi  leading to a  group  of  good Samaritans  rushing  to the scene to rescue  the  severely  wounded  boy.

They then rushed him to a nearby health facility in the village but he was pronounced dead while undergoing treatment.  "A medical  report shows  that  Sandaresi succumbed to bleeding after sustaining a big open wound on his head," the RPC added.

Meanwhile, a 35-year old peasant, Nkinga Majeki, has been jailed 30 years by the Sumbawanga  District  Magistrates' Court  after he  was found  guilty  of  armed robbery.  Reading his  judgment, the magistrate, Mr Adamu  Mwanjokolo,  told the court that  the prosecution led  by  Police Assistant, Emmanuel Shani, had proved its  case beyond  reasonable  doubt  that  the  accused had  committed  the  crime.

Presenting the case, Mr Shani charged  before the court  that   the  accused  committed  the  crime  on November 8, last year  at  Kipeta  village  in Sumbawanga  district  while being accompanied by a colleague  who  is  still at large. He added that they broke into a house belonging to Ronald Lwenje (61) and made away with 5m/-.

According to  prosecution, Mr Lwenje is  a retired school  teacher  who  had   been paid  his  retirement  benefits  a  day  before he was  attacked  by  the accused. The  court was  further told  that  the accused was  arrested  by law enforcers  on November 15, last year  at Kilyamatundu  village along  the Lake Rukwa Basin in Sumbawanga district  where he had  gone for  hiding.