Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
TWO Bulawayo men learned the hard way that you cannot just walk around town with bags of copper like you are carrying lunch boxes.
Farai Marevanhema of Old Lobengula and Elphas Mabheka of Emganwini West were slapped with US$150 fines each after police caught them strolling through Kelvin West with 8kg of scrap copper worth US$80.
The incident happened bright and early at 6.30AM when detectives from CID MFFU were on patrol. According to court records, the officers spotted the pair walking suspiciously near Revival Bus Garage. Not suspicious because of their walk, but because nobody carries bags that confidently at that hour unless it is groceries or trouble.
Detectives introduced themselves and politely asked to check the bags. Inside, surprise surprise, was scrap copper. Not baby clothes. Not church uniforms. Copper. Shining and ready for resale to whichever scrapyard offered the best handshake.
When asked for a licence to possess the copper, the two reportedly served the court a blank menu. Nothing. Not even a story. So, off to court they went.
Western Commonage magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube, convicted them on their own guilty pleas and fined each one US$150 or three months in prison. They have until 5 December to pay, otherwise festive season might be spent wearing Government colours.
The copper was weighed at Zimpost and confirmed to be 8kg. Which means these two had been doing gym without knowing it.
The baseline is that if you are going to hustle, at least hustle legally. Or be prepared to explain to a magistrate why you were walking around town like a mobile hardware shop.
