Sinda wife killer sentenced to 7yrs behind bars

A MAN of Sinda who killed his wife by inserting a metre-and-half long stick in her private parts has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour by the Chipata High Court.

Mathews Mateyo Kanguya, who was facing one count of murder, killed his wife, Rhodah Banda, between November 15 and 16, 2015, in Sinda, after she disregarded his order not to go and watch Nyau.
Rhodah’s half-naked body was discovered by passers-by on the road-side on the morning of November 17, 2015, with a long stick piercing her private parts.
Passing judgement, Lusaka-based High Court judge Anne Sitali, who was sitting in Chipata, said there was evidence of malice aforethought in Kanguya’s murder of his wife.
She, however, exercise, leniency on the convict after considering his medical report from Chainama Hills Hospital.
“Malice aforethought has been proven by the prosecution …the offence committed attracts death penalty, but after perusing the medical report from Chainama Hills Hospital, I instead sentence you to seven years imprisonment with hard labour,” she said.
Last week, Mary Banda, 56, the convict’s mother, testified that she had supper with Kanguya and his wife Rhodah on the night of November 15, 2015.
Ms Banda said the following morning around 08:00 hours, she saw a group of people passing by her house saying that there was a corpse body lying at a nearby road
“When I rushed there, I saw Rhodah lying still with only a blouse [on her body], without anything on her bottom. I saw a metre-and-half dry stick inserted in her private parts and it was protruding outside,” she said.
Johns Zulu, 46, a local farmer,told the court that on the material day, around 05:00 hours, he saw Rhodah’s body after crossing a stream.
But Moses Zulu, 21, a cousin to Kanguya, said on November 17th, he saw the convict hiding at a kraal near his house.
Zulu said Kanguya confessed to him that he had murdered his wife because she wanted to go and watch Nyau dance against his wish.
The court heard that Kanguya was apprehended by members of the neighbourhood watch committee.