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A 34-year-old garden worker, Yona Banda, of Chaisa Compound, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for assaulting his employer, Pingiwe Shinuwa Phiri, over a delayed salary.
Lusaka Magistrate Kawama Mwafuli convicted Banda of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, following evidence presented during the trial.
The incident occurred on October 3, 2024, at Phiri’s home in Lusaka.
Testifying in court, Phiri said she woke up to find Banda standing beside her bed.
When she asked why he was in her bedroom, he allegedly pushed her outside, where a physical altercation began.
Phiri recounted that Banda squeezed her neck, placed his knee on her stomach, and covered her mouth while threatening to rape and kill her. Her son intervened, leading to Banda’s arrest.
In his defense, Banda claimed he had gone to Phiri’s room to demand his salary, which had been unpaid for three months.
However, the court dismissed his explanation as inconsistent with evidence presented by the prosecution.
Magistrate Mwafuli ruled that Banda’s actions were unjustifiable, citing witness testimony and medical evidence of Phiri’s injuries as key factors in the conviction.
Banda was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
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