News / National
Man sentenced for stealing cement
11 Apr 2012 at 06:14hrs | Views
Gqwetha Nkomo, of Dingindawo Line, 31 from Mbalibali area in Tsholotsho District has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for stealing 20 bags of cement meant for construction of a booster in Mbalibali.
The cement was belonged to Telecel Zimbabwe Limited and were being kept at the site of a booster, where a company called CETC Construction and Engineering, was constructing a booster at Gotshani Village.
Nkomo was arrested last month after he connived with three other villagers who are still at large, to steal the bags of cement. The alleged accomplices allegedly went at night and loaded the bags of cement into a scotch cart and took them to their homesteads.
It is alleged that between 15 and 16 January, Nkomo connived with the three alleged accomplices, Mandla Sibanda, Senior Dube and Junior Dube and loaded 20 bags into a scotch cart and they later shared them. The matter was discovered in the morning and a report was made to the police.
They were sold out by the tracks of the cart as police and other villagers traced them to Nkomo's homestead. Nkomo later implicated others.
Although he pleaded not guilty to theft when he appeared before Tsholotsho magistrate Mr Toendepi Zhou last week, Nkomo was convicted of the offense and sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behavior within five years while a another five months were suspended on condition he reinstates CETC $74 being the value of the bags of cement that were not recovered.
The magistrate said the court had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that Nkomo stole the cement and that some of the bags were recovered from his field, hence the need for a custodial sentence.
Some of the bags were recovered from his garden while others were recovered from one of the accomplices' homestead. Nkomo will serve an effective 14 months in prison.
The State's case was that on 5 January 2012, CETC left 100 bags on the site covered with a tent and there was no security guard manning the premises.
The cement was belonged to Telecel Zimbabwe Limited and were being kept at the site of a booster, where a company called CETC Construction and Engineering, was constructing a booster at Gotshani Village.
Nkomo was arrested last month after he connived with three other villagers who are still at large, to steal the bags of cement. The alleged accomplices allegedly went at night and loaded the bags of cement into a scotch cart and took them to their homesteads.
It is alleged that between 15 and 16 January, Nkomo connived with the three alleged accomplices, Mandla Sibanda, Senior Dube and Junior Dube and loaded 20 bags into a scotch cart and they later shared them. The matter was discovered in the morning and a report was made to the police.
They were sold out by the tracks of the cart as police and other villagers traced them to Nkomo's homestead. Nkomo later implicated others.
Six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behavior within five years while a another five months were suspended on condition he reinstates CETC $74 being the value of the bags of cement that were not recovered.
The magistrate said the court had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that Nkomo stole the cement and that some of the bags were recovered from his field, hence the need for a custodial sentence.
Some of the bags were recovered from his garden while others were recovered from one of the accomplices' homestead. Nkomo will serve an effective 14 months in prison.
The State's case was that on 5 January 2012, CETC left 100 bags on the site covered with a tent and there was no security guard manning the premises.
Source - Chronicle
