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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
A GWANDA man has appeared in court for causing the death of a woman from his community who fell from a trailer of a moving tractor that he was driving.
Large Sibanda (34) of the Ntalale area pleaded guilty to a charge of driving without a license and culpable homicide when he appeared before Gwanda provincial magistrate, Ms Patience Madondo. He was remanded in custody to today for sentencing.
Prosecuting, Gwanda District public prosecutor, Mr Shepherd Moyo said Sibanda who does not have a driver’s license was driving a tractor which was pulling a trailer with 30 by 50kg bags of maize. He was also ferrying 15 passengers who were seated on the bags of maize.
“On 14 September the accused person who doesn’t have a license loaded 30 by 50kg bags of maize onto a trailer which was being pulled by a tractor. He further loaded 15 people on top of the bags of maize to deliver them to their homes.
“Along the way one of the passengers Ketumetsi Ndebele fell off the trailer of the tractor and was crushed by a wheel and died on the spot. The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene. Investigations were conducted leading to the arrest of the accused person,” he said.
In his submissions, Mr Moyo pleaded with the court to consider the degree of negligence which had been displayed by the accused person. He said Sibanda had displayed gross negligence by loading bags of maize and then ferrying people on top of the pile of maize bags. Mr Moyo said in addition the accused person was driving without a license.
In his mitigation, Sibanda said he drove the tractor following a request from villagers who needed assistance in carrying the maize which they had received under the drought relief programme.
He begged the court to be lenient to him as he was trying to help the community with no harm intended.
“The driver of the tractor wasn’t around but the vehicle was parked at home hence the villagers asked me to drive it. They needed assistance in ferrying their maize grain from the business centre to their bus stops.
“I had no intention to cause harm or to cost anyone’s life. I feel really sorry for what happened and to show my remorse I covered some of the burial costs which were incurred by the bereaved family. May the court be lenient towards me,” he said.
@DubeMatutu