The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A TEACHER at Madlambuzi Primary School in Bulilima District stole groceries valued at $9 at a supermarket in Plumtree in order to mobilise food that she could take to her workplace.
Madrine Ncube (28), who is from Malalume area, told the court that she had recently secured a job as an ECD teacher at the school but she did not have food to eat.
Ncube was convicted of theft by Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon. She was sentenced to six months imprisonment of which three months were suspended for five years on condition that she does not within the period commit an offence of the same nature.
The remaining three months were suspended on condition that she performs 105 hours of community service at Madlambuzi Police Station.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.
The schoolteacher begged for the court’s leniency after citing that she did not want to lose her job.
“I beg to be pardoned Your Worship because if I go to prison I will lose my job. I recently secured a job as an ECD teacher and I did not have any food to take with me to school that is why I stole the groceries.
“I cannot do community service either because that will mean I will not be able to report for duty at school. Could you give me a warning and discharge me,” she said.
Prosecuting Ms Jane Phiri said Ncube stole groceries from Plumtree Bakery Supermarket on two separate occasions.
She said on 23 June around 3pm Ncube went to the supermarket carrying a black handbag and pretended to be shopping for groceries.
Ms Phiri said the schoolteacher took two tins of fish, a mirror, hair spray, a bottle of roll on, yoghurt, and a packet of pads and she placed the stolen goods under her jacket unnoticed.
“On 25 June at around 1pm Ncube returned to the same supermarket where she took a pack of candles and a pack of lemon cream biscuits which she hid beneath her jacket.
“She went on to pay for a half loaf of bread which she also took. Ncube was intercepted at the door by Locadia Marazanyi, who is a security guard at the supermarket, after suspecting that she had stolen some goods,” she said.
Ms Phiri said Ncube was taken to a storeroom where she was searched and the goods were recovered beneath her jacket.
She said the supermarket personnel then searched the schoolteacher’s handbag and discovered goods she had stolen two days earlier.
Ms Phiri said they then checked the CCTV footage which had captured Ncube stealing goods from the shop which resulted in her immediate arrest.
