Edson Kitwika vs Republic (Criminal Appeal No. 8 of 1996) [1999] TZHC 451 (3 September 1999)

._ IN THE HIGH COURT. OF T;,,\NZANIA . , ,',, AT MBEY'.A · . .t&PPELLA,TE JURISI>ICTIOij . (MBED REGISTRY) CRIMINAL .APPEAL No'. --a OF 1996 ' . ( ORIGINtL CRil!ITNiaL TRAFFIC C.ASE No., OF 1995 OF THE DISTR!CT·COURT OF RUNGWE, DISTRICT AT TUKUYU)' , , · .. EDSON KIT WIK,\ •••••••••••••.••••••• o •• '• •• APPELLANT . .VERSUS THE REPUBLIC.·.=.· .......... · •••• · ••• / •.••••••• RESPONDENT , JUDGEIVlENT mwr:POPO J. - .. :- ,__ ,.,. __ ,.... • ~ • J T.:.iJs appell3nt Edson Ki twika pleadorl ... gu:Llty to the offence of I • ~ • I' ., • • '" I ' .... • ... .., • .. , rcffi '.'.:; yrescri.bcd· "1.mdor ss6 40, 63('2)'(,b)_, and 27(1). (a) of tho .:·::::·: TraffL; .... ict of 1973. Under these i,ections the punisl:u.nent p_resc:cibcd is nn·.imprisonment of l ycnr :.:.1inimum upto 3 years· ... max.imu.-::.:- .imprisonment or a fine of. hs.10,000/= minimum or shs.30,000/= maximum. Tho learne'd.Ivlr. 11bise .Advocate for the appellant .has= : contended ·that sine the fncts given were in Kiswahili the words . ., . . ~ ,.• .. covering. tho dangerous driving .. through .high spe.e -premmAblv - that "Uende:.h8 ji gari · ~ hatari" could have moan} the driving was dangerous, recklesf3 or 11egligent. Tl· i1J.tendod eh1:1rge for the appellr:rit to face· W'3S under s0 ct. . on 40 .~ of , the Troff i c .l f!-t which is one of dange ro~~ n 7' 1 . ,....; -,.. .. . .·. ar.. ho facts given in the manner he was dri "?'ing his motor ·:;,b5. 010 bus at high .speed in a town ·area of Kiwir mi?or settlement in wb.ich ho knocked a pedestrian police officer also supported tbr, ... • ••• /2

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• • • • - • ' ' • 1 ~ • " particulcrs of ·::>ffe.noo nnd the ·stt\tGui.eilt of offncQ., I thoro:forc. don't soc acy grounds f'.or ro:ii"sirig the· convi(}tiilon for driving dangerously under s. · 46° of t~· Treffi6 :'jiOt· si.nce he plea of . •. "::') /" guilty wns quite unequivocal. The arguments of the I learned.. .. • ''·· !, ' C. • I J, • . .., - ,. - ~ • J 1 , . , Tuir. Mbiso ll9-vocate of ~~ appellant that the appellant pleaded. } • ,o, I• > •; • •,• .... '•: j ) guilty vndor the motive .that. he .. W:)uld bo·:punished ,with a more fL . .. . I..· rathet:. th..-m an imprisonment term is not relevant to his ploa of . . • !' ~ t '4 l ' guilty bovause ot the time .of pleading BUilty the stance :Sf sentence hnd ·not yot boon .ac_hp.d and <he _was.. wrongly foreseeing ., . . ~ what tho c-::>Urt would do to him after conviction when he was not .. - ... ,.,. ",. . the 1:.1::-,cistrate himself It would be different if there was a as ,: lo. peso1} :uch/ .. oice. officer or P;,lice investigntor or official who · - · , - of the our)'c,:mvinced m t pla guily with __ an_ assur_nco trot: he vwuld get a light punishment. In toot si tua_tion his pa of V • ', guilty 1.mder th,Jse circumstance·s ·might-be taken to have ;been •. - ' I .,• • \ .·, . e qui vocLil• That was not the· case here where tho appellant on· . ·· ~ his own volition pleaded guilty. i ... • •·. .. . . ! r . . . -· . . . . The learned Mrs· Makuru, Senior State ll.ttorney• s urgup3nt that . ,._ ~ . . , - r . what was orronously stated in the statoncnt of offence .wos-:_tho · t ~ . ., .... ~ ➔,,.. • - ' citing of ·section 63('2)(b) ~ of' the Traffic /let inste·ad of· s; 63(2) ·(a) of the same ·Traffic ilct. _. This error is curable under socti·::in . .. .. "'· 388 0f tho C.P.A. which I hereby=ci,we for. i_t toucs .on the . . sorr+encc. pil4shablo rather. on';·the ingredients of the offence i tsclf I • 'j . . . . to be 4nc by this court should be to oltcr· the cl:l.arge i its
• •, statement of offence from one of causing death by dangerous driving . ·, ; ..• /3

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• - under~ socti.:m ,4p to one of causing death by· carelese,' driving · under so cti,Jn ? ~ of tl1P Traffic .Aet~ · That kind of alteration " '•J ~ • in tho charge shet oc'ntt be dono by" ·the court for the· court :: ail .. ---t arl subeti tute tho rni.n::>r offence •J·f causing ... : ~ ' , :. '··. ·.\ :· .. death 'b oal.e:s driving under s •. 41 of Traffi~· .Aet.8ince . ' :. . .. ·.,.·,., the appellant h8 ct'lroady be.en ohargod with. a more serious • ! • I • ',' >• .- ·· ot nd.rod offenoe/iausing deah by dn_gcr.)us dr~;ng c/ 10 of • • ' • F the Traffic Actl ·Iri thi~ ~~~:t' -ose.f#li .subeiti tui.:>1?- ,. ... . . . . - ., . is··not worrolitod for t,ba appellnnt knocked d pade.a±;rian who . . . -~ l ,' . ,· was at tho rJ.iddle -d.f. tho road tbe:,e.fore · .q'UU;e vt.sible f·or the appG<l.1.ant,. -t.:i ave seen him f¾pm_ a distnnc.o and break.ed in time .. , .-t ._,{ "' .• or dono SOmG-thing. :t;.a. oi.,dking him • ..A.U..U j:neansis tt the .dri v.ing_ ~ geJ'onsJ y a:1;; a .bisb, .spood.. a all.aged in tho l. • - : • . • ~ .' . ;· . sta.tomo.nt. of' Q£fenoe and as suppo-»te c1 by the .facts given by _t.ba ' . '· . tho 2 yoors impisnmant is the m.inilllUlu nd the trial court.• s ' . ', ., d.isoroti..m -in im.R,Osi.ng an imprisonment rothe than .a 'fine was .... quite justified. The dend deceased hnd a right to be alive now as the C:i.Jpellant is nnd the deceasod 1 s early termination of his ld.fe cnc1 employnent ns n polic.e officer nt tho·· persJnal whims of the nppellant is quite unacceptable in our c01l11llunity and hs -- always had to public outtry. After all, it is wr::mg to issue \ that heel he been ~onvicted for t,areless clriving and thereby cnusing he death would have attracted a lesser sontonco than 2 years imprison- / ment which is still lawfully within the range of a sentence of 1. - 3 yoars prescribed under section 41 and 63 (2) (b) of tho ••••• /4

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• .. , ... JUDGE 'I•,.,,,.' ... J . • -~ f' ;· . , , I ....... · J .. ' ' . -.J> ··.-:J., ·.._ i ,,,,:. . ,j . r ..