Peter Matika, Zimpapers Writers
TWO Beitbridge men have been jailed a combined effective nine years after they were convicted of stealing two cattle.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Brighton Sibanda (33) and Reason Sibanda (33), both from Chiputulasi in Beitbridge, were convicted and sentenced by the Beitbridge Regional Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard that sometime between June and July this year, the pair teamed up with two accomplices who are still at large to steal cattle belonging to Mr Mberengeni Ndou.
The pair took advantage of the fact that the cattle were grazing unattended on pastureland some distance from the complainant’s homestead.
It was stated that the pair stole two brown heifers with stub horns.
The two heifers were then tied and ferried using a scotch cart belonging to Brighton Sibanda before being sold to a woman identified as Magret Sibanda.
The theft was later uncovered after a local villager alerted the owner, who immediately reported the matter to the police.
Police investigations led to the arrest of the two men, resulting in the recovery of both stolen heifers and the subsequent conviction of the accused.
The NPAZ warned that stock theft remains a serious offence with devastating economic consequences for farmers and communities, particularly in rural areas where livestock are a major source of livelihood.
The authority said perpetrators of stock theft would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
