Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura, Court Reporter
FOUR Bulawayo women who posed as customers before stealing groceries worth US$107 from a local wholesale shop were yesterday each fined US$110.
Sibongile Luphahla (30) and Joice Uranda (41), both of Old Pumula, Nomagugu Sibanda (39) of Makokoba and Trace Mwale (35) of Pumula South, were convicted on their own pleas of guilty to theft when they appeared before Western Commonage magistrate, Mr Jeconia Prince Ncube.
They were ordered to pay the fine by December 5, failure of which they will each serve 30 days in prison.
Prosecuting, Mr Tafara Dzimbanhete said the offence occurred on November 8 at around 10AM.
“On that day, the four women entered Metro Cash and Carry Wholesale along Khami Road in Bulawayo,” he said.
The court heard that Luphahla was intercepted at the exit and found with a 2kg pack of washing powder she had not paid for.
“When her co-accused noticed that she had failed to get through the main entrance, they rushed to the toilet, where they offloaded the stolen items. These included three cartons of Blue Seal Vaseline petroleum jelly, three cartons of Protex bath soap and three cartons of tinned beef, which they had concealed on various parts of their bodies,” said the prosecutor.
The trio was spotted by an alert security guard as they rushed to the toilet and were subsequently apprehended.
The branch manager, Mr Shepherd Machanja (38), reported the matter to the police, leading to their arrest. All stolen items were recovered.
