BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Senior resident magistrate Thokozani Soko has given land grabbers suspended jail sentence.The land grabbers, who were supporting the vocal activist Vincent Wandale will have a 12-month period of probation.

According to Soko, the charges of criminal trespass and illegal takeover of land among others the 21 people were answering were a misdemeanor.

The defendants were told to pay K5000 and not to get involved in any other offence for a year and they should ensure they bring peace in their area.

They have been on remand for over a month now after they were arrested for trying to take over some land owned by Comforzi Tea Estate in Thyolo.

Wandale and two other suspects remained in police custody as they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The police prosecutors immediately paraded four state witnesses against the three suspects who are also alleged ring leaders in the land grabbing exercise.

A police investigator told the court Wandale was arrested in 2014 over similar offences.

The owner of Comforzi Tea Estate Suleman said he has lost a lot because the land grabbers cut down macademia trees.

District Commissioner for Thyolo, Thombozi said he told traditional leaders to tell their subjects against taking land illegally after Wandale met the DC.

A lands official in Thyolo said his office was overwhelmed with applications for land as people identified as Peoples Land Organisation followers wanted to pay K3500 for land at Comforzi. The case continues on Tuesday.