Woman robbed litre of used cooking oil

A 20-year-old man from Maphisa, Matebeleland South was sentenced to three years behind bars for robbing Veldah Yolanda Ndlovu (24) of her ZAR375, cellphone and a plastic bag containing one litre of used chip fries cooking oil.

Learnmore Tshuma (from Johane Maguswane, Nkayi) who is employed at a Maphisa-based mine was convicted on Friday by Kezi senior resident magistrate, Busani Sibanda.

 Sibanda suspended one year for 5 years of Tshuma's sentence on condition that he does not commit a similar offence involving use of force or violence on any person or dishonest.

An additional six months were suspended pending restitution of ZAR375 which is also payable in ZiG currency using bankrate prevailing on the date of payment through the clerk of court to the victim.

Prosecutor Godfrey Ziki told the court that on December, 27 last year and along Maphisa-Falcon mine near Hawkflight stampmill, the accused and his friend emerged behind the complainant and her boyfriend, Warren Msindo while they were walking home from the complainant's workplace.

With assistance of his friend, the accused pick stones and throw them to the complainant's direction and hit Warren Msindo's back, leading him to flee from them and left the complainant alone.

Tshuma unlawfully and intentionally used violence immediately before taking Veldah Yolanda Ndlovu's cash amounting to ZAR375, light-blue iTel P17 cell phone and a plastic bag containing 1 litre of used cooking oil. Tshuma threatened to stab Ndlovu with a knife while grabbing her by the neck, in order to induce her to relinquish her control over belongings.

After commiting the offence, the accused went away and the complainant reported the matter to the police leading to Tshuma's arrest. The value stolen is ZAR1200 and nothing was recovered.