The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
IN a hilarious turn of events fit for a comedy show script, a teenager from Zvishavane was recently caught stealing property that had initially been stolen by another man from a house in Platinum Park suburb and hidden in a nearby bushy area. The teenager, Wilfred Dhliwayo (19) of Jebha Village under Chief Mafala in Zvishavane, has since appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Mr Story Rushambwa facing a theft charge.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six months in prison.
Dhliwayo will, however, not do time as Mr Rushambwa wholly suspended the sentence on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next three years.
In suspending the sentence, Mr Rushambwa considered Dhliwayo’s age and that he was a first offender, as well as the fact that he had not benefited from the commission of the offence as the property was recovered.
The property consisted of six 200-litre empty containers belonging to Mr Gift Sibanda of number 1495 Platinum Park in Zvishavane.
It is the State’s case, as presented by Mr Stanley Ncube, that on 11 May this year, Dhliwayo while strolling in the area, spotted someone hiding the six containers in a bushy area that is just outside Platinum Park.
The teenager, curious to find out what was being hidden, waited for the unidentified man to leave the spot and went to investigate upon which he discovered the empty plastic containers.
He, together with an accomplice only identified as Doubt, hatched a plan to change the position of the containers so that the first suspect would not find them on his return.
Oblivious to the fact that they were being watched, the two proceeded to hire a truck from Tatenda Mugwira which they intended to use to carry their loot.
As they were loading the containers into the truck, two security guards approached them and the two quickly took to their heels, leaving Mugwira on the scene.
The security guards interviewed Mugwira who explained that he had only been hired by the two to carry the containers into town.
Mugwira assisted police during a manhunt for Dhliwayo, whom they later arrested in town on the same day.
His accomplice, Doubt, is however still at large.
Upon being questioned by police, Dhliwayo revealed that he had stolen the containers from another unidentified man he had seen hiding them in the bush near Platinum Park.
He denied that he had stolen the containers from Mr Gift Sibanda’s house in Platinum Park. The containers are valued at $300.
