man to spend 21 years in jail for defiling grandniece in Zomba
Published on August 13, 2025 at 4:30 PM by Edgar Naitha
The Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Zomba has sentenced 51-year-old Montfort Mikwana to 21 years imprisonment for defiling his 12-year-old grandniece.
Mikwana pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a child, contrary to section 138(1) of the Penal Code.
The offence took place between June and July 2025 at Maulidi Village in Traditional Authority Mlumbe, Zomba.
The court heard that Mikwana repeatedly abused the girl, giving her small sums of money and a T-shirt to lure her into sexual acts.
Senior Resident Magistrate Elijah Blackboard Dazilikwiza Pachalo Daniels described the offence as highly aggravated, citing its premeditated nature, the breach of trust involved, the repeated acts of abuse, and the convict’s HIV-positive status, which exposed the child to a serious risk of infection.
The magistrate dismissed Mikwana’s claim that the victim initiated the acts as “an egotistic excuse,” stressing that as an elder, he had a duty to protect her.
Taking into account the aggravating factors, the court imposed a 21-year custodial sentence without hard labour because of Mikwana’s age, partial blindness, and ill health.
The case will be referred to the High Court for confirmation, as required by law.
