The Sunday News
Tendai Bhebe, Sunday News Reporter
TWO Binga men who were arrested for stock theft have each been slapped with a nine-year-jail sentence.
Maxwell Dube (36) and Moses Mugande (34) pleaded guilty to the charges when they appeared before Binga magistrate, Mr Talent Phiri, for stock theft. They were represented by Modern Chimwanda of Nyawo Ruzive Legal Practitioners.
Presenting the State case, the prosecutor, Mr Quiet Mpofu told the court that sometime in June last year Mr Siakulu Mudenda lost his two cows and an ox at Siachilaba grazing area. Efforts were made to locate the beats but they were fruitless.
The duo had connived and proceeded to Siachilaba grazing area where they stole the cattle belonging to Mr Mudenda.
They then approached Ms Salia Mudimba at her homestead and told her that they wanted to exchange the two cows with two oxen to which she agreed.
It was the State case that Ms Mudimba collected two cows on the very day and gave the pair her two oxen as per agreement. She then started to rear the two cows believing that they belonged to the pair.
Mr Mpofu told the court that one of the cows died in November last year while in the custody of Ms Mudimba and she remained with only one which she later lost in February this year. When her son Miyamba Mudimba searched for the cow, he found it at Mr Mudenda’s homestead and efforts to get it back were quashed when Mr Mudenda told him that that the cow was his and had lost it sometime ago.
The State told the court that Miyamba narrated to Mr Mudenda how they got the two cows and that is when it was discovered that Ms Mudimba had exchanged her two oxen with stolen cows belonging to the complainant. Mr Mudenda and Ms Mudimba made a report to the police leading to investigations and arrest of Dube and Mugande. The total value of the stolen cattle was $950. In their defence, the two said they were given the two cows as a donation by one Clever Mutale which statement the later changed saying they bought them.
@TendaiBhebe
