Two brothers sentenced to sweep Mangochi Court premises for 8 hours a day for 5 days

* The two have since begun serving their sentence, under the supervision of court officials

* Initially sentenced the two to 12 months of imprisonment with hard labour but in mitigation they asked for leniency

* Stating they had learned their lesson and promised to change their ways

Maravi Express

Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, September 10, convicted and sentenced two brothers, Abdul Chiwaya (20) and William Chiwaya (19) to five days of community service for wounding a fellow resident.

Senior Resident Magistrate Muhammad Chande ordered the two siblings to be sweeping the court premises for eight hours a day.

A report by Mangochi Police public relations officer, Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi, says Inspector Amos Mwase told the Court that on August 9, 2024, the first convict Abdul, got into a fight with the victim, Ulemu Shaibu (20) for reasons known only to the two of them.

Inspector Amos Mwase narrated that altercation was reportedly incited by the victim and although the issue was resolved and both parties reconciled with the help of their parents, Abdul’s younger brother, William, was dissatisfied with the resolution.

A few days later, the two brothers — armed with a hammer, screwdrivers, and knives — set out to find Shaibu in an attempt to seek revenge and they found him near Nthundu Trading Centre where a heated confrontation ensued.

“During the altercation, the brothers produced a knife and wounded Shaibu on his left upper arm before fleeing to their aunt’s home in Nkhotakota,” says the report by Inspector Daud. “Shaibu sustained a minor cut and was treated as an outpatient at St. Martin’s Mission Hospital.”

The two brothers were then arrested on August 24 and pleaded guilty to charges when they appeared in court and in his submission, prosecutor Mwase requested a stiffer punishment despite the two being first-time offenders.

However, in mitigation, both convicts asked for leniency, stating they had learned their lesson and promised to change their ways.

In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate Chande agreed with the prosecution and he initially sentenced the two to 12 months of imprisonment with hard labour, but the sentence was suspended in favor of five days of community service at the court premises, as a deterrent to other potential offenders.

The brothers have since begun serving their sentence, under the supervision of court officials.

Abdul and William Chiwaya hail from Chiwaya Village, Traditional Authority Chowe, in Mangochi.