News / Local
8 years behind bars for habitual thief
07 Dec 2011 at 06:08hrs | Views
Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Rose Dube has sentenced to eight years in prison a serial housebreaker who had terrorised Bulawayo residents in a series of burglaries in the company of two other men.
George Khulani Dube, aka Thulani Dube (30), of 12519 in Cowdray Park, was on Friday convicted of four counts of unlawful entry and theft and one case of theft from a motor vehicle, which he committed between August and November this year.
He was with Lucas Sotsha Zulu (27) of 12013 and Thulani Ndlovu of 13296 in the same suburb when they reportedly committed one of the offences and with Zulu on the second and third offences, while committing the other two offences alone.
The gang used to work as brick moulders and builders in Cowdray Park.
They targeted shops and bottle stores where they would break in using crowbars and steal groceries, beer, electrical gadgets and cash.
One of the complainants is Assistant Inspector George Mukucha, stationed at Mzilikazi Police Station, whose car was broken into.
Zulu has also been convicted of the three offences while Ndlovu pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to a later date.
On all the offences, the magistrate sentenced Dube to 11 years but suspended 42 months on condition he restitutes all the money he stole from the complainants in the five offences before 31 March next year.
Dube would then serve an effective eight years and three months while Zulu would serve an effective five years and six months.
The State's case as presented by Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa was that on 27 August this year, Dube and Zulu hatched a plan to go and steal from Nkenyane Store along Bulawayo-Nkayi Road. They stole groceries, 10 kilogrames of meat, clothes and electrical gadgets with a combined value of about $1 396.
They sold some of the stuff and only goods worth $44 were recovered.
On the second count, on 12 September at about 9pm Dube, who is originally from Gwanda, went to Avoca in Filabusi where he broke into a shop and stole goods with a combined value of 2 680 rand, and only goods worth 380 rand were recovered.
On 31 October, Dube and Zulu went to Kensington Bottle Store and broke in at night and went away with an assortment of electrical gadgets, beer, cigarettes and cane spirits with a combined value of $571,50.
On the fourth count, the court heard, Dube, Zulu and Ndlovu went to Mr Tavengwa Malinga in Cowdray Park on 14 November at night where they reportedly cut chains that were used to fasten the doors of a caravan that was parked in the yard.
Dube and Zulu went inside the caravan while Ndlovu remained outside on guard.
They stole opaque beer and electrical gadgets all valued at about $467.
On 21 November, at about 9pm, Dube broke the doors of Asst Insp Mukucha's vehicle, which was parked in his yard in Cowdray Park and stole two car batteries, which were later recovered at his house.
George Khulani Dube, aka Thulani Dube (30), of 12519 in Cowdray Park, was on Friday convicted of four counts of unlawful entry and theft and one case of theft from a motor vehicle, which he committed between August and November this year.
He was with Lucas Sotsha Zulu (27) of 12013 and Thulani Ndlovu of 13296 in the same suburb when they reportedly committed one of the offences and with Zulu on the second and third offences, while committing the other two offences alone.
The gang used to work as brick moulders and builders in Cowdray Park.
They targeted shops and bottle stores where they would break in using crowbars and steal groceries, beer, electrical gadgets and cash.
One of the complainants is Assistant Inspector George Mukucha, stationed at Mzilikazi Police Station, whose car was broken into.
Zulu has also been convicted of the three offences while Ndlovu pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to a later date.
On all the offences, the magistrate sentenced Dube to 11 years but suspended 42 months on condition he restitutes all the money he stole from the complainants in the five offences before 31 March next year.
The State's case as presented by Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa was that on 27 August this year, Dube and Zulu hatched a plan to go and steal from Nkenyane Store along Bulawayo-Nkayi Road. They stole groceries, 10 kilogrames of meat, clothes and electrical gadgets with a combined value of about $1 396.
They sold some of the stuff and only goods worth $44 were recovered.
On the second count, on 12 September at about 9pm Dube, who is originally from Gwanda, went to Avoca in Filabusi where he broke into a shop and stole goods with a combined value of 2 680 rand, and only goods worth 380 rand were recovered.
On 31 October, Dube and Zulu went to Kensington Bottle Store and broke in at night and went away with an assortment of electrical gadgets, beer, cigarettes and cane spirits with a combined value of $571,50.
On the fourth count, the court heard, Dube, Zulu and Ndlovu went to Mr Tavengwa Malinga in Cowdray Park on 14 November at night where they reportedly cut chains that were used to fasten the doors of a caravan that was parked in the yard.
Dube and Zulu went inside the caravan while Ndlovu remained outside on guard.
They stole opaque beer and electrical gadgets all valued at about $467.
On 21 November, at about 9pm, Dube broke the doors of Asst Insp Mukucha's vehicle, which was parked in his yard in Cowdray Park and stole two car batteries, which were later recovered at his house.
Source - chronicle
