Africa-Press – Zambia. Oct. 14, 1991LUSAKA, Zambia – Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda’s son, Kambarange Mpundu Kaunda, was sentenced to death Monday by a Lusaka high court judge for the murder of a young woman in September 1989.
Kaunda, 28, a charter pilot, stood still and composed and raised two fingers in the victory sign of his father’s ruling United National Independence Party, UNIP, as Judge Claver Musumali handed down the sentence.
‘I order that you be hanged by the neck until you are pronounced dead,’ Musumali told Kaunda, stunning the court.
Kaunda’s defense lawyer, Richard Ngenda, immediately told reporters outside the court he would appeal against the sentence.
‘We will fight on,’ Ngenda said.
The sentence comes only three weeks before President Kaunda goes into a crucial presidential election battle with former trade unionist Frederick Chiluba, his toughest political rival in his 27 years as head of state.
President Kaunda was scheduled to leave Zambia Monday afternoon to attend the British Commonwealth summit in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Kambarange Kaunda, one of twins, and fourth born son of the Zambian president, was initially charged with manslaughter but Musumali changed the charge to one of murder.
The judge found Kaunda fired seven shots at a group of people, killing 19-year-old Tabeth Mwanza.
Kaunda pleaded not guilty, insisting he had fired in self-defense when a group of people threatened him and blocked the road he was driving on in a Lusaka suburb.
Musumali rejected Kaunda’s defense in his judgment, saying Kaunda acted with malice aforethought and unlawfully.
‘The accused was not acting in self-defense when he killed Tabeth,’ Musumali said.
The father of the dead woman said he was pleased with the sentence.
‘The sentence is fine. Justice has been done but I think it would be unfair for him to be acquitted by the supreme court (on appeal),’ Elias Mwanza told reporters.
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