The Sunday News
Limpret Moyo and Sisa Sihwa, Sunday News Reporters
A bogus soldier from Bulawayo has been ordered to perform 315 hours of community service for defrauding a woman of $1 000 after he promised to facilitate the recruitment of her two children as soldiers.
Lloyd Maringe (32) presented himself as a soldier to Ms Arina Ncube (40) of Beitbridge and demanded $1 000 to assist her two children to be recruited as soldiers. A court heard that Ms Ncube paid the money in November last year but she later discovered that Maringe was not a soldier, before reporting him to police. Maringe pleaded guilty when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya last week.
“Your worship, I admit the charge that is levelled against me. I am willing to restitute the complainant of her money. May I be given only a month to do that,” said Maringe.
Mr Tashaya sentenced Maringe to 24 months in prison, but suspended three months on condition he does not commit the same offence in the next five years.
“Twelve months is further suspended on condition that you restitute the complainant before 30 June. The remaining nine months is converted to 315 hours of community service. The accused person will perform community service at Luveve Police Station,” he said.
In passing the sentence, Mr Tashaya said he considered that Maringe was a first offender, pleaded guilty and therefore did not waste the court’s time and resources. Prosecuting, Ms Leane Nkomo said on 17 November last year Ms Ncube met Maringe at a bank in Beitbridge while they were in a queue. Ms Nkomo said Maringe told Ms Ncube that he was a soldier stationed at Llewellin (Imbizo) Barracks in Bulawayo and had authority to recruit soldiers.
“The accused person told the complainant that he will assist her two children to get employment. The accused person charged the complainant
$1 000 to recruit both of her children. The complainant immediately deposited $200 into the accused’s bank account. After one week, the complainant followed the accused person who had come back to Bulawayo and she gave him $800 cash at a city garage.”
The court heard that Maringe started to give excuses until he was no longer reachable on his mobile phone. The prosecutor said Ms Ncube then realised that Maringe was not a soldier and reported the matter to the police. The court heard that Ms Ncube suffered a prejudice of $1 000.
Last month, the Zimbabwe National Army dismissed false recruitment messages circulating on social media and warned those behind the fake messages that they will be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, a maid will serve 35 hours of community service after she was convicted of stealing her employer’s suitcase, clothes and and a pair of shoes. Nomsa Dimengo (21) of Cowdray Park in Bulawayo appeared before West Commonage magistrate Miss Tancy Dube facing charges of theft last week.
Miss Dube found Dimengo guilty and she will perform 35 hours of community service at a local primary school.
Prosecutor Mr Chief Muteve told the court that between 5 to 7 May this year, Dimengo took advantage that her employer Mr Thomas Mtambirwa was absent from home in Nketa where she was working as a maid.
The court heard that Dimengo stole a suitcase and shoes from the house all valued at $81 although Mr Mutambiwa had reported that the value of goods was $1 673. Mr Mutambiwa discovered that some of his goods were missing when he returned home from his trip to Harare and reported the matter to the police. Dimengo had also left home, and police tracked her through her cellphone leading to her arrest. She was also found wearing one of the T-shirts belonging to Mr Mutambiwa.
However, the court also heard that Mr Mutambirwa had made exaggerations on the value of the property stolen by Dimengo in an effort to silence her from speaking on the alleged sexual harassment she suffered at the hands of her boss.
Miss Dube said the sexual harassment cases would not stand in court, since they were never reported to the police.
