Online Reporter
Moreblessing Ncube
A BUMBLING thief who fancied himself a master criminal was well and truly screwed after CCTV cameras caught him red-handed breaking into an Electrosales outlet in Bulawayo and stealing a measly set of screwdrivers.
Mthandazo Dube (38) of Emganwini suburb has to be a hot contender for Zimbabwe’s Dumbest Criminal!
He swaggered into court expecting mercy, only to be slapped with a US$300 fine by Bulawayo magistrate Maxwell Ncube. If he fails to cough up, he’ll trade his freedom for five months behind bars, with one month suspended if he pays back the paltry US$87 he stole.
According to prosecutor Mehluli Ndlovu, the late-night drama occurred on 8 September around 11PM. Under the cover of darkness, Dube crept into Electrosales at 34 Plumtree Road, Belmont, and scooped up an assorted range of screwdriver sets like he was plotting a world-class heist.
While he thought he was pulling off a slick operation, the store’s CCTV was zooming in, recording every clumsy move.
Fast forward five days to 13 September. Like a villain returning to the scene of the crime, Dube foolishly strutted back into Electrosales. Unfortunately for him, sharp-eyed shelf minder Tinotenda Dawu Zvinavashe spotted him and sounded the alarm.
Security swooped in, and before Dube could say “flathead screwdriver,” he was nabbed.
The stolen goods, worth a grand total of US$87,10, were never recovered, leaving Electrosales nursing both a loss and a headache.
Fanuel Mbiri, speaking for the store, lamented, “This was a blow to us. We’ve been dealing with a wave of shoplifting, and it’s frustrating.”
As for Dube, his grand plan for a life of crime unravelled faster than a rusty screw. In the end, it wasn’t a master heist that took him down, it was a camera, a vigilant employee, and his own lack of common sense.
