Former supermarket employee sentenced to 10 months in jail for stealing US$16 000

Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

A former employee of a retail supermarket has been sentenced to an effective 10 months in jail for stealing US$16 000 from his employer.

Godwills Muzilikazi (40) was convicted of theft after a full trial by Harare magistrate Ms Evelyn Mashavakure.

Initially, Muzilikazi was sentenced to 25 months imprisonment of which five months were suspended conditionally for five years.

Another 10 months were suspended for restitution and he is to serve the remaining 10 months.
The complainant in this case is Yellowcob Enterprises trading as Spar Retail represented by its Security and Risk Officer Ian Danny.

The State prosecutor Mr Bonface Musvaire proved that on September 4, 2022, at around 11:56 am, Muzilikazi was handed over cash amounting to US$16 357.

This was from treasury balance of US$7 000, in-store balance of change coupon of US$3 900, sales coupons of US$3 008 and loyalty coupons of US$3 589 for safekeeping.

He secured the cash in the safe and went away.

The court heard during the closing hours, at around 8:30 pm, Muzilikazi took advantage of other employees’ absence and took US$16 357 which he had previously placed in the safe and went away unnoticed.

Muzilikazi was captured on CCTV camera and the complainant made a police report at ZRP Highlands which led to his arrest.