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Prosper Dembedza–Court Correspondent
A maid and gardener allegedly stole US$75 000 and R121 000 from their employer last month but were sold out by the gardener’s hat found near the safe in the bedroom.
The employer effected a citizen’s arrest but could only hold on to the maid and lost grip of the gardener who bolted away.
Taurai Shonhiwa (34) was charged with theft when she appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda who remanded her out of custody to February 22.
Allegations are that sometime in January, the employer put US$75 000 and R121 000 in his bedroom safe and ordered Shonhiwa and Tatenda Ngirazi not to enter the bedroom though they had access to the bedroom keys.
The two used a key to unlawfully open the bedroom door to gain entry and they used unknown means to open the safe and took cash, which they shared.
It is the State’s case that on Thursday last week, their employer decided to use the money he had kept in the safe but immediately noticed that its locking system had been tampered with.
Upon opening the safe he realised that his money was missing.
Curiously, a hat belonging to Ngirazi was found near the safe.
The employer then quizzed Ngirazi on the whereabouts of his money.
Ngirazi confessed that he stolen the money and implicated Shonhiwa.
The gardener allegedly narrated how he shared the loot with Shonhiwa and how he used part of the money to buy a motor vehicle, a Toyota Ipsum.
The employer effected a citizen’s arrest on the two but Ngirazi fled on the way to the police.
Online Reporter