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Second Grave Magistrate Court at Machinga Boma Wednesday convicted and sentenced a teenager and old woman to two years imprisonment for trespassing and exhuming human bones at a village grave yard in Machinga early April this year.
The court heard that an 18 years old Fayson Walusa and three others who are still at large entered a graver at Nyandule Village, Traditional Ngokwe where they exhumed remains of a woman who committed suicide some ten years ago.
Walusa was answering two charges thus trespassing burial place contrary to Section 129 of Penal Section and Removing Human Body Tissues from Deceased Person contrary to Section 18 Sub Section 1 of the Anatomy Act.
According to the Second Grade Magistrate court the old woman, Esme Dyman answered Trespassing charges because of her role in directing Walusa and three others to the burial place of Chiuja Keneth also known as Abiti Kiliyoti who died after taking termic.
Both Walua and Dyman pleaded guilty to charges levelled against them by state.
The exhuming of the remains of Abiti Kiliyoti took place on the night of 7th and 8th of April this year when Walusa and three others took ten pieces of bones mainly legs and arms bones.
Passing Judgement, Second Grade Magistrate Maxwell Boasi said the two charges are minor and that the two are first offenders.
He however noted that exhuming of human bones and other related criminals such as abduction and killing of people with albinism is common in Machinga.
“I’m confused with this case, this is the first time I’m presiding over a case like this,” Boasi who is new in Machinga said.
He was however in dilemma in giving the two a suspended sentence or custodial sentenced considering their safety in the community.
“If I let them go home, are they going to live among their relatives?” the magistrate said before the final say.
Fearing for their lives he therefore ordered them to serve two years imprisonment each.
Walusa comes from Mwahiwa Village in Nsiya area in Mozambique while Dyman comes from Chigomile Village, Traditional Authority Ngokwe in Machinga.
