The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 36-year-old man of Barastone Park to six months imprisonment with hard labour for keeping dog meat in his house, thereby polluting the air.

The 36 year-old was reported to police by his relatives last year after tenants at their farm complained of the smell and flies which were coming from his room.

In this case, Felix Zulu was charged with one count of fouling air contrary to section 189 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

It was alleged that on December 23 last year, Lusaka, Zulu voluntarily did vitiate the atmosphere thereby making it noxious to health of persons, in general, dwelling namely Francis Kayula Zulu’s farm.

He had pleaded guilty before magistrate Nsunge Chanda.

Facts in this matter were that; on the material day his brother Brian saw him washing a slaughtered dog and later put it in a bucket and went with it in the house.

Upon seen that, Brian decided to inform the elder brother Nelson, who later reported the matter to the police.

Felix’s relatives decided to report the matter to the police because their tenants at the farm informed them that they were inconvenienced by the smell and flies which were coming from the accused’s room.

His brother Nelson, in the company of the police, managed to apprehend him and got the dog caucus which was in the bucket.

And when the matter came up, Monday, magistrate Chanda found Felix guilty and convicted him of the charge.

This was after he failed to give a clear response as to why he was keeping dog meat in the house.

“I did not cut the dog in pieces…I was removing the fur from the dog. It was in a plastic bag then I took it in the house,” he said.

In mitigation, the accused asked for forgiveness from the court saying he had realised that he was wrong.

Magistrate Chanda, however, sentenced him to six months imprisonment with hard labour after noting that the offence he had committed was serious.

She said Zulu’s behaviour was intolerant and unhealthy because there was no way he could keep something rotten in the house, to pollute the air.

“The offence you committed is serious. There’s no way you can keep dog meat in the house. The ones who went to complain are your brothers. Why should you keep dog meat in the house? And they were suspecting that you were consuming it, which is very unhealthy. So I have to punish you so that others can know that you are not supposed to do that,” said Magistrate Chanda.

“You are old enough to know what you are supposed to eat. That behavior is intolerant. You cannot keep something which is rotten in the house, to pollute the air. I’m sentencing you to six months imprisonment with hard labour with effect from today.”