THE Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 20-year-old mother of Lusaka’s Mtendere area to one year imprisonment suspended for 15 months for leaving her three all by themselves while she went looking for piece work.
This is in a matter were Maureen Makai was facing three counts of desertion of a child.

Makai on August 31, 2022 being a mother and having lawful custody of her children aged three, six and a seven month old infant, willfully and without lawful justification abandoned the children without support and care.
Appearing before magistrate Mbuywana Sinvula yesterday the young mother admitted leaving her children at her home without anyone to tend to them.

Her nosy neighbors who had detected her perpetual behavior of abandoning the children since 2022, with the latest incident being on August 29, snitched on her to the police.

According to her explanation, the mother told the Court that she would leave her children alone as she could not manage to carry them along to fetch water and search for piece work.

She said on the material day she trekked a long distance to fetch water early in the morning and later went to the market mid morning to buy food so that she could fix a meal for her children.

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Makai said upon returning home she was shocked when she discovered that her neighbours picked her children and left them under the care of the police.
Following her own admission of guilt magistrate Sinvula convicted the young mom.

In her mitigation the 20-year old asked for mercy as she was ignorant about the laws relating to child desertion.

“I didn’t know that leaving children alone can lead to an offence. I love my children, I will never forsake them again,” Makai said.

In handing down her sentence magistrate Sinvula Sid she had taken note of the Makai’s defense but the facts revealed that she had a habit of deserting her child.

“It is wrong that a mother would leave children alone for such a long time. The situation could have been worse, they could have been injured or abducted. The neighbors’ decision to take the children to the police was the best thing to do,”Magistrate Sinvula said.

“It wasn’t time for you to play around by leaving your children home! The moment you became a mother it was your role to ensure that you take care of them. Since one of the children is still breastfeeding i will be lenient on you because children need their mother to take care of them. I hereby sentence you to 12 months simple imprisonment suspended for 15 months.”

She directed that since the children need their mother’s care the suspended sentence was on a condition that Makai keeps her offspring under guard.

Magistrate Sinvula directed social welfare officers to visit Makai’s home on a monthly basis to see to it that the children are well taken care of.

And speaking after verdict the young mother amidst sobs said she could not entrust her neighbors with her children as they do not get along.

“It’s difficult to leave the children without anyone to watch over them, I have learnt a lesson and I wouldn’t want others to do the same(desert their children), I am as free as a bird but there’s no difference, I am still a convict,” said Makai as she broke down.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba October 3, 2023.