News / National
Man steals heifer to pay lobola, jailed 9 years
26 Sep 2012 at 05:01hrs | Views
A Hurungwe man who stole a heifer and tried to use it as payment for lobola to his in-laws has been sentenced to nine years in jail by a Karoi magistrate.
Last Mukura (28) and his cousin James Tafirenyika (26), both of Mupindi Village under Chief Mujinga in Hurungwe, will each serve the nine-year jail term after Karoi magistrate Mr Obidience Matare convicted them of stocktheft last week.
Proven facts are that during the night of May 13 this year, Mukura and Tafirenyika connived to steal a heifer from Medicine Makapepu's kraal.
The two later drove the beast and handed it over to Mukura's wife Ketai Murunga (35), as part of Mukura's lobola payment (mombe yeumai), which was due to be delivered to his in-laws formally by a go-between.
However, two weeks after the theft information filtered to Makapepu that his heifer had been spotted in the custody of Murunga.
Makapepu, in the company of a police officer, then visited the homestead where the beast was recovered before Murunga was arrested.
Murunga implicated her husband Mukura, who was also arrested before he implicated Tafirenyika. The court, however, acquitted Murunga after finding her not guilty of the offence. The heifer, valued at US$400, is now back in the custody of Makapepu.
Mr Benjamin Negato represented the State.
Last Mukura (28) and his cousin James Tafirenyika (26), both of Mupindi Village under Chief Mujinga in Hurungwe, will each serve the nine-year jail term after Karoi magistrate Mr Obidience Matare convicted them of stocktheft last week.
Proven facts are that during the night of May 13 this year, Mukura and Tafirenyika connived to steal a heifer from Medicine Makapepu's kraal.
The two later drove the beast and handed it over to Mukura's wife Ketai Murunga (35), as part of Mukura's lobola payment (mombe yeumai), which was due to be delivered to his in-laws formally by a go-between.
Makapepu, in the company of a police officer, then visited the homestead where the beast was recovered before Murunga was arrested.
Murunga implicated her husband Mukura, who was also arrested before he implicated Tafirenyika. The court, however, acquitted Murunga after finding her not guilty of the offence. The heifer, valued at US$400, is now back in the custody of Makapepu.
Mr Benjamin Negato represented the State.
Source - TH
