WE feel betrayed by President Edgar Lungu’s decision to reduce Tshiabu Benos’ death sentence to life imprisonment, says the family of slain Auto Force proprietor Reeves Malambo.
Family members who sought anonymity said it was insensitive for the Head of State to make such a decision at the time of Malambo’s memorial which falls January on 29.
Malambo was murdered by his lover Benos on January 29, 2017 by stabbing him with a dagger in the upper right back.
Benos was sentenced to death by hanging on June 28, 2018 by the Lusaka High Court but barely two years later, President Lungu commuted her death sentence to life imprisonment.
She is among the 246 prisoners on death roll at Mukobeko Maximum Security Correctional Facility whose death sentence has been reduced to life imprisonment.
The List also includes former Chilanga UPND member of parliament Keith Mukata and former Bank ABC employee Precious Longwe who shot her husband six times in the chest.
However, Malambo’s family is not happy with President Lungu’s decision.
“It’s a very painful thing to hear and generally as a family we feel betrayed by that decision. The person who was a father and uncle, a breadwinner to most of the family members, his death would not be valued, his blood is taken like that of a chicken,” the family representative said. “The timing of the President’s decision is during his (Reeves’) memorial week. He died on January 29 and this is the time we are actually remembering his death, him as a person and the good things he did as a person.”
The representative said the reduction of Benos’ sentence has been received with mixed.
The representative said family members were wondering why such had been done at the time when they were still mourning their loved one.
“We are still mourning our beloved one and suddenly we get this disturbing news! This only tells us that the President is setting a precedent to others and a lot of people will take it that they can murder and get their death sentence reduced all of a sudden,” the representative said.
Malambo’s family described the commuting of Benos’ death sentence to life imprisonment as unfair and done in haste.
The representative said it would be difficult to accept Malambo’s killer walking to freedom in case such happened in future.
“We feel that person (Benos) may have not reflected on her wrong doings and it is too early for such a thing to happen, this is a very unfair decision. For us as the family the pain is still fresh to see such a person walking freely in the streets,’’ the family member said. ‘’Now that her sentence has been reduced it means maybe on Africa Freedom Day the next thing that will happen is that maybe she will be pardoned; that’s another possibility. It will be very difficult to accept such because the loss is very fresh.”
The family representative said it would not consider reconciling with Benos as that would not serve any purpose.
“It will be very difficult to come up with a reconciliation package when you know you have lost and there is no coming back. What is there to reconcile about when you have actually lost? And in death you don’t come back, what is there to reconcile about, when you have lost completely on the other end?” asked the family representative.
“I’m not saying the person should be punished perpetually, [but] the timing has been very bad as the time the person has been in jail is too short for her sentence to be reduced. Justice has not been served.”
Meanwhile, the family of late Namakabwa Kalilakwenda of Men in Black Security firm, who was shot dead by Mukata, says it has reconciled with the latter.
Matengu Sialutaba, an administrator of the estate of the late Kalilakwenda, said he was optimistic to see Mukata freed.
“As a family of believers, we said there is no man who is perfect under the sun. As Christians definitely there is room for forgiveness. We wouldn’t mind whatever happens if the President would come up with that decision. Whatever happened at the end of the day it’s God who knows,” Sialutaba said. “We are happy with the decision made by the President. Mr Mukata has a family to look after, we have a family also, we say there is nothing wrong. Whether his sentence is reduced or he’s released, to me it doesn’t matter; Biblically that’s my stance.”
He said the family had given up on ensuring that justice was served on Kalilakwenda’s murderer.
“We sat as a family; the elders had a view that we must forgive Mr Mukata. I still believe justice will come, only God knows. I wish him all the best. I was with him two months ago, I went to see him we wanted to pray for him so that he could reunite with his family,” he said further. “We have reconciled with him. The two families have sat. Forgiveness really comes from deep down the heart. Once you forgive, I wouldn’t say how much is he supposed pay us or do for us. Vengeance is for God, He pays better than anyone else. We are not taking this to say we have forgiven him and yet behind we are doing something else. There has been no sort of bribery for us to forgive him.”
Sialutaba disclosed that Kalilakwenda’s widow had equally forgiven Mukata and she accompanies him to Mukobeko to visit Mukata.
“We just have to take care of her (widow) in one way or another but we leave in a world of troubles. But at it all God has been there for her and the family. She is struggling of course, Kalilakwenda was a bread winner,” said Sialutaba. “She is suffering just as we struggle also today, you have something to eat, at the end of the day you have nothing. Even when he was there [he] was struggling, though no help has been rendered to the widow by the convict’s family.”
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