10 years behind bars for robbing fish vendor in Limbe

The Senior Resident Magistrate court in Limbe has sentenced 23-year-old Andrew Simakweli to spend the next 10 years in jail for robbing a fish vendor in Limbe.

According to Sub Inspector Rachael Namwada, a prosecutor at Limbe Police Station, the incident occurred on 25 January, 2022, at around 6pm.

Namwada told the court that on the particular day, the victim, Beyadi Daiton aged 42, arrived in Limbe at Okhai bus terminal from Zomba with a carton of dry fish.

He then found a piece worker to carry the carton through a short-cut route to Limbe Market.

On the way Simakweli started walking very fast and this made the victim to be suspicious. He was told to slow down but he could not listen.

After passing by a small bridge heading Limbe market, eight unknown men armed with panga knives emerged, assaulting him before robbing him of his carton of dry fish, cellphone and K30,000, cash, all totalling to K310,000.

According to Namwada the robbery was carried in full view of the convict, and they together escaped leaving the complainant in pain and in a pool of blood.

Simakweli was later apprehended, and charged with robbery, an offence that contravenes Section 300 as read with Section 301(2) of the penal code.

When Simakweli appeared in court, he denied to have had a hand in the commission of the offence, prompting the state prosecutor to parade three witnesses, who testified against him, and was later found with a case to answer.

In mitigation, he pleaded with the court for leniency saying he is an orphan, and looks after his grandparents and siblings.

Sub Inspector Namwada requested the court to mete out a stiff sentence saying the offence was systematically planned, panga knives were used and that the convict was accompanied by other accomplices who are still at large.

Passing his judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate Byson Masonga while concurring with the state, quashed the convict’s mitigation factors.

He therefore sentenced Simakweli to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour to deter others from committing similar offence.

Andrew Simakweli comes from Dalahamani village in the area of Traditional Authority Juma in Mulanje.