WIFE SENTENCED TO JAIL, HUSBAND FINED OVER FATAL RECKLESS DRIVING

The Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has convicted and sentenced Zainab Alli Mposa, 40, to one year and six months’ imprisonment for causing the death of an eight-year-old girl through reckless driving.

The court also fined her 50-year-old husband, Sande James, K580,000, for offences related to allowing his unlicensed wife to drive and acting as an unregistered driving instructor.

The court heard through Prosecutor Sub-Inspector Regina Chikungwa that on the evening of August 9, 2026, James was teaching his wife how to drive their uninsured Honda Fit motor vehicle, registration number MH 1100A.

As they were passing their neighbour’s house, Mposa, who does not have a driving licence, lost control of the vehicle due to excessive speed and hit their neighbour’s eight-year-old daughter, Mariam Salade, who was playing with her friends near the house. The impact trapped the child against a nearby building.

Mariam sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to Mangochi District Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Prosecutor Chikungwa also informed the court that, following the incident, the couple allegedly fled the scene. James later reported the matter to Mangochi Police, claiming that he had been driving the vehicle.

However, following thorough investigations, police established the following morning that James had been shielding his wife, leading to the arrest of the couple.

When they appeared before court, Mposa pleaded guilty to all three charges, while James also pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against him.

In mitigation, the couple asked for leniency, saying they were remorseful and apologised for their actions.

However, Prosecutor Chikungwa objected to the plea for leniency, arguing that their actions had resulted in the loss of an innocent child’s life. She therefore asked the court to impose custodial sentences.

In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate Muhammad Chande concurred with the state, observing that reckless driving is rampant in the district and that stiff penalties were necessary to deter would-be offenders.

The court sentenced Mposa to one year and six months’ imprisonment for causing death by reckless driving. She was further fined K150,000 for driving an uninsured motor vehicle and K50,000 for driving without a valid driver’s licence, bringing her total fine to K200,000.

The court also fined James K400,000 for acting as an unregistered driving school and K180,000 for permitting an unlicensed person to drive a motor vehicle, bringing his total fine to K580,000.

Additionally, the court directed that the bereaved family receive K400,000 as compensation. Both have since paid all the fines in cash, while Mposa is serving her custodial sentence.

Zainab Alli Mposa hails from Bulayima village while Sande James comes from Changamile 1 village both under Traditional Authority Chimwala in Mangochi District.