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Danisa Masuku
A woman who stole over US$9 000 heaved a sigh of relief after she was spared a jail sentence and ordered to perform 350 hours of community service at Magwegwe Police Station and restitute the stolen money.
Awakhiwe Ndlovu (27) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ernest Muzembi facing theft charges. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 months in jail. However, six months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Additionally, nine months were suspended on condition that Ndlovu restitutes her employer, Buy and Build Centre, US$5 657,20.
The remaining 10 months were suspended on condition that he performs 350 hours of community service at Magwegwe Police Station.
In coming up with the sentence, the magistrate noted that theft from an employer is a serious offence involving a breach of trust. Ordinarily, such an offence would warrant a prison sentence. The court further noted that the offense was premeditated as the money was stolen over an extended period.
In mitigation, he noted that the offender was a first-time offender and had taken the initiative to pay US$3 500 in restitution.
The magistrate further stated that the offender was relatively young, aged 27, and should be given a chance to reform and rehabilitate.
He also stated that in determining the sentence, he considered the need for the complainant to recover their money through restitution.
He further said that it had been difficult to determine the sentence because the mitigating and aggravating factors were almost equal and balanced each other. However, the court exercised discretion in favour of the offender and ordered community service.
A representative of the company, Notracy Nsingo, said in a victim impact statement: “The company had failed to pay workers’ salaries and failed to buy stock.”
The court heard that last month, on 1 October 2024, at the Buy and Build Centre in Bulawayo, Nsingo discovered a shortfall.
An urgent investigation was launched and revealed that Ndlovu had been stealing cash since January. A total of US$9 157,21 was found missing. The matter was reported to the police, leading to Ndlovu’s arrest.
Online Reporter