News / National
Notorious thief's sangoma dies, stealing powers fade
17 Feb 2013 at 12:17hrs | Views
NOTORIOUS Chipinge burglar, Tichaona Gwenzi (36), was last Thursday jailed for nine years after being convicted of unlawful entry and theft.
Gwenzi had pleaded not guilty to the offence when he appeared before Mr Makamera Waini, who, however, convicted him after the State led by Mr Thembalami Dhliwayo had successfully argued its case.
Mr Dhliwayo said on November 28, 2012, Gwenzi broke into Tsitsi Keresi's shop at Hotsprings Business Centre and swept the grocery and fashion shop clean, taking all the stock that included jeans, belts, pairs of shoes, T-shirts, a generator and other items worth nearly $4 000. However, he was arrested a few days later.
Gwenzi has previous convictions of theft related cases and was also linked to various housebreaking incidents that were reported around Hotsprings and Nyanyadzi area. A Chipinge source who spoke to My Zimbabwe over the phone alleged that Gwenzi used juju to steal.
"If you want to be a prominent thief, it's very easy if you come to Chipinge. Chipinge Sangomas can provide you with any type of juju that you may need. All people in this Gwenzi area as well as Mt Selinda business centre know him. His stealing powers had been vanishing of late and villagers are of the opinion that his sangoma must be the one who died in December last year," narrated a teacher at a school in Chipinge who requested anonymity.
Although his plea for a non-custodial sentence was dismissed, 12 months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Gwenzi had pleaded not guilty to the offence when he appeared before Mr Makamera Waini, who, however, convicted him after the State led by Mr Thembalami Dhliwayo had successfully argued its case.
Mr Dhliwayo said on November 28, 2012, Gwenzi broke into Tsitsi Keresi's shop at Hotsprings Business Centre and swept the grocery and fashion shop clean, taking all the stock that included jeans, belts, pairs of shoes, T-shirts, a generator and other items worth nearly $4 000. However, he was arrested a few days later.
Gwenzi has previous convictions of theft related cases and was also linked to various housebreaking incidents that were reported around Hotsprings and Nyanyadzi area. A Chipinge source who spoke to My Zimbabwe over the phone alleged that Gwenzi used juju to steal.
"If you want to be a prominent thief, it's very easy if you come to Chipinge. Chipinge Sangomas can provide you with any type of juju that you may need. All people in this Gwenzi area as well as Mt Selinda business centre know him. His stealing powers had been vanishing of late and villagers are of the opinion that his sangoma must be the one who died in December last year," narrated a teacher at a school in Chipinge who requested anonymity.
Although his plea for a non-custodial sentence was dismissed, 12 months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Source - Metro
