A Blantyre Third Grade Magistrate Court in southern Malawi has convicted and sentenced 28-year-old James Linyada to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour. The court found him guilty of proposing violence.
Police arrested Linyada on October 20. He stopped a female Police Constable, Happy Kwisongole, as she was walking home from work, and called her a “bloodsucker.” The insult riled up a crowd, and people grabbed stones, sticks, and burglar bars, ready to attack the officer.
It took her landlord’s intervention to calm things down. He pleaded with the crowd to disperse, explaining that the woman was a police officer at Kabula, not a blood sucker.
Linyada pleaded guilty to proposing violence, a charge under section 87(1)(a) of the penal code. Third Grade Magistrate Catherine Magwira handed down the sentence. She said that although Linyada was a first-time offender, his offence was serious.
“His behavior was very bad. He wanted the angry people to take away the life of an innocent police officer,” Magwira said. She added that the court could not condone such behaviour in society, and that Linyada needed a custodial sentence to keep the peace.
The magistrate sentenced Linyada to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour, with no option of a fine.
