By Rahim Abdul
The Senior Resident Magistrate court sitting at Lilongwe has convicted and sentenced Group Village Headman Chimalizeni, whose real name is Yohane Thokozani, 26 years old for having sexual intercourse with and impregnating a 16-year-old girl in Lilongwe.
The court heard from the Lilongwe Police based Public Prosecutor, Sub Inspector Jean Chirombo, that Thokozani (convict) committed the offence between the months of September and October of 2025.
Prosecutor Chirombo further said that the girl, who is eight months pregnant, dropped out of school last year while in Form 1.
The convict, having realised that the girl was pregnant, decided to elope with her and stay with the girl as a wife.
In court, the convict lacked remorse for all that he did. He continued to argue that the girl was his wife.
Even up to the mitigation stage, he saw nothing wrong with his behavior. However, he asked for leniency of the court, saying he is a first-time offender and that he has dependants who look up to him.
In submission, the State asked for a meaningful sentence since the offence committed was serious in nature.
Prosecutor Chirombo further submitted that, as a chief, the convict was supposed to be the one protecting the girl child and not bringing psychological trauma upon her.
Passing his sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe, concurred with the State that the convict breached the trust the victim had in him as a chef, the offence was premeditated and planned as he had sexual intercourse with the girl multiple times.
Kondowe further said that being a Group Village Headman is a respectable position in society. He continued to say that chiefs ought to be exemplary in how they conduct and carry out themselves.
He said that a chief is expected to be a safe haven for the downtrodden like the girl herein.
But the convict chose to turn a vulnerable girl into his sexual prey, seeing no problem with relieving his unbridled sexual desires on an innocent girl he was supposed to protect.
Kondowe then said that he was convinced that the convict deserved a custodial sentence and that this case warranted the exhaustion of the Court’s sentencing threshold of 21 years imprisonment to serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
Yohane Thokozani (convict) hails from Chiunjiza village, Traditional Authority Masula in Lilongwe District.
