adminSifundiso Ndlovu Chronicle Reporter
A Chronicle vendor who stole $545 from sales of the paper escaped jail after his four-month prison sentence was wholly suspended on condition that he restitutes the money he converted to his own use. Simba Matambanadzo of Number 42 James Court appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa last week facing a charge of theft.
Allegations against Matambanadzo were that between April 11 and April 23 this year he sold 545 newspapers and failed to remit the cash to Zimpapers, thereby prejudicing the company of $545.
He pleaded guilty to the charge of theft and begged the court to allow him to reimburse the company.
In mitigation, Matambanadzo told the court he had $300 with him and that he earned between $600 and $700 a month.
He promised to pay back the whole amount by May 30.
After considering his defence, the magistrate sentenced him to four months in prison wholly suspended on condition that he restitutes the company the whole amount by May 30.
Matambanadzo was arrested by alert loss control officers on April 30 after he had failed to remit cash to the company.
derick.khumalo