Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
A 23-YEAR-OLD Gokwe woman, is breathing a sigh of relief after a magistrate threw out theft charges laid against her by a bitter former boss.
Nyaradzai Maromo, who was a maid in Lobengula West, stood accused of helping herself to US$1 200 allegedly stashed in a jacket pocket by her employer, Godspower Tagwira.
But when the dust settled in court, Magistrate Mehluli Moyo discounted the “inside job” theory—declaring there was zero proof and setting Maromo free.
According to the suspicious Tagwira, the alleged heist began in March this year when he kept US$3 200 hidden inside a jacket in his bedroom. He claimed the cash started vanishing bit by bit without any signs of forced entry.
To catch the “thief,” Tagwira says he baited the jacket with a fresh US$90, but only US$20 was left after Maromo went to the rank early one morning. She never came back.
“I had removed the remaining stash after the first incident,” he told the court. “I was setting a trap.”
But Maromo clapped back, telling the court she resigned on 31 March and left on 2 April after telling the family she was done with the job.
“I never had access to their bedroom,” she said confidently. “The door was always locked and they had the keys.”
In court, Tagwira admitted Maromo didn’t have bedroom access, but claimed his wife sometimes left it unlocked.
Magistrate Moyo was not convinced.
“You can’t convict someone based on assumptions,” he ruled. “The wife didn’t even know about the missing US$1 150, and nothing was recovered. There’s also a possibility the money was never there or someone else in the house took it.”
He added that the complaint may have been sparked by sour grapes after Maromo’s unexpected departure.
With that, the court cleared her of all charges.
Case closed. Maid free. Boss left counting his own drama.
