Man jailed 15 years for stabbing woman to death with arrow after she tried to stop him confronting her friend

A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter, after fatally stabbing a woman with a sharp arrow when she stepped in to defend her friend during a violent confrontation.

Mtchona Gonjo Macheso: jailed

The High Court, sitting in Chiradzulu District, handed down the sentence to Mtchona Gonjo Macheso following a plea agreement that saw his original murder charge reduced to manslaughter.

The case stems from a horrifying incident on March 20, 2015, at Mwamadi Village, Traditional Authority Likoswe, where 38-year-old Chrissie Kaliati was fatally stabbed in the chest and back. She later died from severe blood loss while awaiting medical assistance.

According to the State, represented by lawyer Layna Kulesi from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Macheso had confronted Kaliati’s friend, Ruth Malumero, demanding she accompany him somewhere.

When Malumero refused, an altercation broke out — and Kaliati was fatally stabbed after stepping in to intervene.

A post-mortem examination carried out at Thyolo District Hospital confirmed she died from excessive external bleeding caused by the chest wound.

Macheso later admitted to the stabbing in a caution statement given to police, which he signed voluntarily.

During trial proceedings, defence lawyer Luntha Chibwete of the Legal Aid Bureau proposed a plea bargain, which was subsequently accepted by the State. Macheso pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was convicted accordingly by Justice Ruth Chinangwa.