Malawi: Water Meter Thief Who Left Residents Drinking From Unprotected Wells Jailed for Three Years

A 24-year-old man has been jailed for three years with hard labour after admitting to stealing water meters belonging to Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) -- a crime prosecutors say directly forced desperate residents to drink from unprotected wells, exposing them to deadly waterborne diseases.

Gift Gama, from Mazira Village under Traditional Authority Ganya in Ntcheu District, was convicted at the Chiseka Magistrate Court in Lilongwe after pleading guilty to a charge of theft under Section 278 of the Penal Code, relating to the theft of 12 water meters worth a staggering K3 million.

Pleading for leniency, Gama begged the court for mercy, insisting he was the sole breadwinner for his family, including two young children, and urged the magistrate to hand down a lesser sentence so he could continue providing for his dependents.

But state prosecutor Sergeant Themba Changaya of LWB Police pushed hard for a stiff punishment, painting a grim picture of the devastating knock-on effects of water meter theft across the city.

Changaya told the court that the theft of water meters has become a rampant and deeply damaging problem in Lilongwe, warning it poses a serious threat to public health and access to essential services for ordinary residents.

The prosecution argued forcefully that Gama's actions had directly contributed to entire communities being cut off from accessing clean, potable water supplied by the LWB -- with devastating consequences.

As a direct result, residents had been left with no choice but to turn to drinking water from unprotected wells, dangerously exposing themselves to waterborne diseases in the process.

Changaya branded the offence a genuine threat to society, urging the magistrate to impose a punishment severe enough to serve as a powerful deterrent to other would-be offenders considering similar crimes. The prosecution reminded the court that the offence carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment with hard labour.

Delivering her ruling, Her Worship Rose Chirwa sided firmly with the state's submissions, stressing the severity of the crime and its wide-reaching impact on the wellbeing of the community.

She went on to sentence Gama to three years' imprisonment with hard labour, sending a clear message that the theft of essential public infrastructure will not be treated lightly by the courts.

Read the original article on Nyasa Times.