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Noah Pito
Two Hurungwe men – Richard Chibaya (24) and Prosper Shoko (19) – have been slapped with 76 and 33-year jail terms respectively after they were convicted of seven counts of stocktheft involving 15 beasts valued at $8 000.
The two are notorious cattle rustlers in the district.
The atmosphere at the Karoi Magistrates’ Court was one of grieving as relatives of the incarcerated duo wept uncontrollably outside the court building.
The wife to one of the rustlers collapsed after failing to come to terms with his lengthy jail term.
In sentencing Chibaya and Shoko, magistrate Mrs Nyaradzo Ringisayi, said although the two were first offenders who were also young, she was guided by the stipulated nine-year mandatory sentence on stocktheft.
Mrs Ringisayi, however, suspended 13 years of Chibaya’s sentence on condition he restituted his victims of a total of $6 700 for the unrecovered beasts while Shoko had six years of his sentence also suspended on condition he paid back a total of $1 700 for the unrecovered beasts he stole.
Both Chibaya and Shoko were given up to May 29 this year to make the restitutions through the Clerk of Court.
Chibaya was found guilty on all the seven counts while Shoko was convicted on four counts.
Chibaya and Shoko’s case is that between November 6 and 30 2014 the two stole one cow belonging to Edson Gupa of Plot 16 Conistone Farm, four oxen belonging to Romeo Katemanyoka of Plot 3 Pompey Farm, two oxen belonging to Charles Chakara of Plot 63 Pompey Farm, two oxen belonging to Praise Mucheri of Plot 45 Pompey Farm, two cows from David Siyambula of Romfon Farm and three beasts from Michael Baradzi of Plot 21 Pompey Farm.
They cleared the stolen stock using a police officer – Givemore Mapuranga (34) – stationed Karoi Rural Police Station and then acquired permits to ferry the stolen beasts to Carswell Abattoir in Nyabira, just outside Harare.
They also enlisted the services of Saverino Chihwanda (24) and Tobias Secreta (28) to drive the cattle while Paraffin Kanyama’s truck was hired to ferry the beasts from Karoi to the abat- toir.
Acting on a tip-off from one of the victims, police arrested the six after intercepting some of the beasts at Caswell Abattoir as they were about to be slaughtered.
Mapuranga, Chihwanda, Secreta and Paraffin who were second, fourth and fifth accused were acquitted of the stocktheft charges.
Online Reporter