By RACKSON SHAMUTUKU –

A MAN of Mufulira has pleaded with the Magistrate’s Court not to sentence him to jail for illegally connecting water supply to his house.
Rogan Sinkala of Kankoyo Township was facing a one year sentence before it was suspended for the same period.
He was, however, ordered to pay his bills in full plus the penalty fee for illegally connecting water by tomorrow.
Magistrate Felix Lukonde warned that failure to pay Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), the water bills and the penalty fee would attract a nine months simple imprisonment without trial.
Sinkala was arrested by the water company’s security officers at his residence, 445 Section C in Kankoyo Township after being found reconnecting water contrary to the Water Act.
He appeared before Magistrate Lukonde for plea on Friday last week and pleaded guilty to the charge.
When passing judgment yesterday, Magistrate Lukonde warned Sinkala that he would go to prison if he failed to oblige to pay his water bills.
Sinkala pleaded for the court’s leniency citing he was a first offender with a wife and four children to look after.
He told the court that he had learnt his lesson and would not commit a similar offence again.
Magistrate Lukonde caused laughter in the courtroom when he said, “I am not surprised that you (Sinkala) committed the offence because you talk too much” and slapped him with the suspended sentence of one year.
Sinkala was also ordered to pay the penalty fee for the illegal connection plus the water bills.
Last month another man of Mufulira, Lawrence Kalenga, a former MWSC worker, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for a similar offence.
MWSC customer relations officer Bright Mtonga said another case of illegal connection of water was also ongoing in a Chingola Magistrate court.
Mr Mtonga said an upswing in illegal connections of water had prompted the water utility company to air a sensitisation programme on Radio Chengelo to curb cases of vandalism on the company’s property.
MWSC customer relations officer Bright Mtonga said that last month in May another person by the name of Lawrence Kalenga a former worker of MWSC was charged with illegal connection of water supply from MWSC in Mufulira.