THE CHARGE OF ATTEMPT TO MURDER
It has been reported that former defence minister Davies Chama has been detained and charged with the charge of attempted murder.
This is over the allegations of his involvement in a shooting that happened in 2015 during the Mulobezi by-election campaigns.
The by-election saw PF narrowly win the election through Ms. Patricia Mulasikwanda.
The law in section 215 of the Penal Code prescribes thus regarding the charge of attempted murder:
Any person who-
(a) attempts unlawfully to cause the death of another; or
(b) with intent unlawfully to cause the death of another does any act, or omits to do any act which it is his duty to do, such act or omission being of such a nature as to be likely to endanger human life; is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for life.
That is the possible sentence for Attempt to murder and being a felony, I suspect it is a non-bailable and non-bondable offence.
Implication
A non-bailable and non-bondable charge such as Attempt to Murder entails that Davies Chama will be under incarceration until the case is disposed off by the courts of law.
Lessons
Politicians must learn a big lesson from the arrest and detention of Davies Chama by remembering that such acts have a tendency to follow them in future.
They must remember that administrations go and come but the state remains intact.
I submit.
McDonald Chipenzi