Mumbwa polygamist sentenced to death for killing second wife

THE KABWE High Court has sentenced to death a 34-year-old polygamist of Mumbwa who strangled his second wife when she threatened to leave him for another man.

Best Haangala was in 2013 arrested for murdering Melinda Mulimbanyika, 22, while she was gathering firewood in the bush.
Kabwe High Court judge-in- charge Dominic Sichinga, when the matter came for judgement yesterday, said Haangala should be hanged by the neck until pronounced dead.

“I find that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and I accordingly convict the accused of the offence of murder. May the good Lord have mercy on you and rest your soul in peace,” Mr Justice Sichinga said upon pronouncing the death sentence.
Information before the court was that Haangala and his late wife were experiencing marital problems. The convict wanted to reconcile with his wife, who however, had indicated that she was not willing to patch up things with him.

Haangala killed his wife after they differed on September 18, 2013 around 08:00 hours while she was gathering firewood.
The convict testified that while he was trying to reason with his wife, she started hitting him with a stick, and in the process, he strangled her.
“After the fight, I went into hiding because I feared that my wife’s relatives would kill me. After that, I consulted a traditional healer to cleanse me,” he said.

Judge Sichinga said the evidence before court was overwhelming and there was no dispute that the unlawful act was committed.
“A reasonable man would not have acted in the way you did, and the evidence before court shows that you intended to kill your wife,” Mr Sichinga said.