By CHILA NAMAIKO and YVONNE CHATE –

A BARBER of Choma has been sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour for breaking into several houses where he stole property worth more than K3, 000.
Mutinta Hachimwaye, 36, of Zambia Township, was charged with four counts of burglary and theft to which he pleaded guilty.
Between January 5 and 10, this year in Choma, Hachimwaye broke into Carol Lungu’s house and stole a Digital Video Disc player, two curtains, 16 memory cards, a cellular phone, a card reader, and a belt, valued at K1, 330.
In count two, Hachimwaye, between January 2 and 20 this year, broke into Keziah Mweza’s house in Choma where he stole two curtains valued at K700.
Hachimwaye, in count three, broke into Delphine Mulumemuyi’s house and stole a curtain valued at K130.
He also broke into Peggy Hambwaye’s house and stole a set of pots, two sets of food warmers, a remote control, 2.5 liters of cooking oil, two plates, a packet of Cremora, a jack, a loaf of bread and a home theatre all valued at K1, 079.
On Monday, Hachimwaye, appeared before magistrate Mbololwa Mukela for written facts and he pleaded guilty to the charges.
In his mitigation, he asked for the court’s leniency because he did not know what he was doing when he committed the felonies.
But Ms Mukela said she had a duty to punish people like Hachimwaye, who went on rampage stealing innocent people’s property.
Meanwhile, a 48-year-old man of Ndola has been sentenced to two years for stealing a mosquito net and another three years for stealing other household goods.
Webby Makoloni of CHT 41 Chifubu Township, was found guilty on two counts of house-breaking and theft by Ndola magistrate Emmanuel Malenga.
On February 22 Makoloni broke into the house of Gideon Musonda and stole a mosquito net and four plates valued at K125 and also stole K100 cash.
In the other count, Makoloni on February 26 broke into the house of Fridah Nakasunda and stole a radio cassette, a pressing iron, a duvet, five electrical breakers, a bucket and assorted groceries valued at K1, 335.00.
Mr Musonda told the court that he and his family went out on the material day and when they got back home, his wife discovered that a mosquito net and some plates were missing.
Later, his wife found Makoloni with the plates and the matter was reported to Chifubu Police Station where he was charged with the offence.