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Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
A group of daring thieves allegedly stole 38 goats from a farm in Gutu and drove away with them in an unregistered commuter omnibus.
Acting Masvingo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa said the incident occurred on Monday afternoon. He said the suspects are still at large.
“We have received a report of stock theft involving 38 goats belonging to Mrs Henerika Takaona (76) of Farm 98 Nyazvidzi Resettlement area in Gutu. The goats could have strayed from the paddocks and investigations are in progress,” said Asst Insp Dehwa.
However, a distraught Mrs Takaona alleged that her animals were stolen from a pen by a group of men who had been drinking beer at a nearby bottle store.
She said the gang drove the goats into an unregistered commuter omnibus parked some distance from the farm before driving away along the Gutu-Buhera Road.
She said she had earlier warned children in the community about the suspicious-looking men.
“Before my goats were stolen I had spotted a group of men drinking beer at Nyazvidzi Bottle Store from about 1 PM up to around 5PM. The men looked suspicious and I warned some children in the community about them. The men later connived to drive 38 of my 60 goats from a pen into an unregistered kombi and drove away,” said Mrs Takaona.
She said, an 11-year-old girl from the community saw the men opening the goat pen and confronted them but they threatened her with unspecified action.
“This girl said she went to them and asked their identities but they threatened her saying what they were doing was none of her business. The girl rushed to report the incident to me but the gang had already disappeared along Gutu-Buhera Road,” she said.
She said the matter was reported to the police on Tuesday.
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