The Nanyumbu Second Grade Magistrate court has fined a 42-year-old man for assaulting his sister over a piece of land left by their brother.
Police in Machinga have identified the suspect as Andire Lux Ndire.
Nselema police based state prosecutor Sergeant Gift Kalamula told the court on 27 November, 2019 that the suspect wounded Dorothy Lanjesi who is his sister on 2 September, 2019 over a piece of land left by their deceased brother.
Kalamula continued to tell the court that in July, 2019 there was a road project in Nsisi village and this road was to pass through the victim’s garden.
Lanjesi however rejected the arrangement saying that her garden was already small. When the suspect heard that the victim had refused to have the road pass through the garden, he went to the victim’s house and asked her why she was blocking the development.
The victim told the suspect that she was not barring the project but what she wanted was to be given another piece of land to cultivate on.
Kalamula further told the court that after few days the road was created in the victim’s garden. Later, the woman went to his brother’s house to ask for a new piece of land.
The suspect refused to help and this made the victim to go and start cultivating on a piece of land that was used by her other brother who died last year.
This did not please the suspect and he told her to stop cultivating on the piece of land a thing which the victim did not comply.
On the material day the victim and her son went to work on the said land and whilst there she was approached by the suspect and his three daughters who told her to stop cultivating the land.
The victim refused to leave the land and this made the suspect to strike the victim on the forehead with a piece of bamboo and she sustained an open wound.
She reported the matter to Chikweo police unit where she was issued with a hospital referral letter. The suspect was arrested and charged for the offence.
When taken before court he denied the charge and the state paraded three witnesses to prove the case.
After full trial, the suspect was found guilty and was fined K170, 000 or in default 6 months Imprisonment with hard labour.
Andire Lux Ndire hails from Nsisi village Traditional Authority Chikweo in Machinga district.
