daniel chigunwe
Chief Court Reporter
A FORMER Tynwald High School bus driver whose wrongful driving cost the lives of six pupils and a teacher has appealed at the High Court against an effective four-year sentence imposed on him last year for culpable homicide.
Chamunorwa Machimbizofa was in October last year convicted on all seven counts of culpable homicide and hit with a five-year jail term, with one year suspended on usual conditions.
A two-judge court of appeal of Justice Happias Zhou and Justice Benjamin Chikowero heard the appeal on Monday and reserved its judgment to Monday next week.
Machimbizofa was jailed for an effective four years for culpable homicide and banned from driving for five years.
The trial court noted in its judgment that it was clear from all the evidence that the bus was speeding and had no mechanical fault. So the driver was solely responsible for the deaths.
In assessing appropriate sentence, the trial magistrate noted that road traffic accidents were on the increase and therefore there was a need to send a strong message to errant drivers.
The accident claimed the lives of six pupils and a teacher: Anita Manyuka,Beyoncé Guyo, Kimberly Mutusva, Anesuishe Hove, Craig Madanhire, Destiny Madziwa and teacher Chamunorwa Chipande.
Online Reporter