Online Reporter
Kimberley Chitambara
IF trust had legs, it packed its bags and left Sedgewick.
A 34-year-old man, who was hired to look after a homestead decided that the best way to care for the property was to personally relocate it. One item at a time. Into his own pockets.
Mthokozisi Maphosa, of no fixed abode (which now makes perfect sense), was given a roof to sleep under and a job to do. All he had to do was watch the yard and keep things safe. Simple. Basic. Beginner level responsibilities. But no.
Maphosa reportedly looked around and thought to himself, “What a beautiful shop I have been left to manage. And look, everything is free.”
Prosecuting, Josephine Gurazhira said on 23 July, the owner of the homestead took a quick trip to Tsholotsho to see his wife. Just two days. Not two months. Not two years. Two days only. When he came back, both caretaker and property had clocked out of the job.
Gone was the solar battery. Gone were safety shoes. Gone were buckets and buckets of maize. Even the work suit disappeared. The caretaker not only stole the property but also stole the ability to work, maize to eat and power to charge phones to call for help. Efficient chaos.
Police investigations found Maphosa attempting to sell the stolen goods, probably rehearsing his sales pitch. Something like, “Lightly used. By me. Just now.”
He was dragged to court, where Bulawayo magistrate Challenge Mahembe delivered a fitting lesson: play stupid games, win expensive fines. Maphosa was slapped with a US$300 fine or six months in prison if he fails to pay. He also got an extra four months in jail, fully suspended as long as he pays back US$378 to the complainant.
Translation: Pay your debts or see you soon, sir.
In total, property worth US$538 went missing but police managed to recover goods valued at US$160. The rest probably vanished into the great mystery storage warehouse known only as “somewhere in the township.”
Moral of the story: When hiring a caretaker, make sure they have something to care about.
