By JULIUS PHIRI and SYLVESTER MWALE –

THE Chipata High Court  has sentenced a Lusaka resident to hang until pronounced dead for being involved in a number of aggravated robberies in Eastern Province.
Before Judge Getrude Chawatama was Edison Mbewe of Lusaka’s John Laing Township who was charged with three counts of aggravated robbery.
In the first  count, Mbewe on April 8, 2015 with unknown people and while armed with an AK-47 rifle and iron bars attacked Maron Mwanza of Chipata and stole from him a vehicle, a Toyota Allion, a pistol, K30,000 cash and a cell phone all valued at K85,000.
In the second count, Mbewe on July 30, 2015 with others unknown and while armed with a firearm and iron bars attacked Lloyd Ngoma and stole K3,000 from him.
In the third count, Mbewe on August 7, 2015 with unknown people and while armed with two firearms attempted to steal from Frijensio Mbewe of Chikoka area in Vubwi District.
Mbewe axed the convict two times while his colleagues ran away.
The local people set ablaze a Toyota Corolla that the robbers were using and Edison Mbewe was handed over to the police.
The prosecutions team called 10 witnesses while Mbewe did not call any witness in his defence.
Meanwhile, a 43-year-old man of Masansa area in Mkushi District of Central Province has committed suicide by shooting himself with a home-made hunting gun.
This is about the 16th reported case of suicide in the region since January this year following a spate of similar cases that have rocked the region.
Friday Hadungu died on the spot after shooting himself in the stomach on Friday around 16:00 hours after a domestic dispute.
Central Province Police chief Lombe Kamukoshi, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said the matter was reported by the deceased’s brother-in-law Cornwell Mweemba.
“The gun has since been collected by police officers from the scene and the family has been advised to bury the body since no foul play is suspected,” Ms Kamukoshi said.
The latest suicide case in Central Province comes barely five days after two other people killed themselves, again after domestic disputes.
Ms Kamukoshi said last week that she had instructed police officers to investigate the causes of suicides that have rocked the province.
She said the region was leading in suicide cases with 16 people killing themselves since January this year.
Two cases were reported last weekend when a 30-year-old man of Chibale Village in Serenje District died in the Serenje District Hospital where he was admitted after drinking acid.
And a 12-year-old grade six pupil of Kabwe’s Bwacha Township died last week after hanging himself at home.
Ms Kamukoshi was saddened that many people were resorting to taking their lives after domestic quarrels.