adminThe cement was meant for construction of a booster in Mbalibali.
Gqwetha Nkomo, of Dingindawo Line, was arrested last month after he connived with three other villagers who are still at large, to steal the bags of cement that were being kept at the site of a booster, where a company called CETC Construction and Engineering, was constructing a booster at Gotshani Village.
Nkomo and the three alleged accomplices allegedly went at night and loaded the bags of cement into a scotch cart and took them to their homesteads.
They were sold out by the tracks of the cart as police and other villagers traced them to Nkomo’s homestead. Nkomo later implicated others.
Although he pleaded not guilty to theft when he appeared before Tsholotsho magistrate Mr Toendepi Zhou last week, Nkomo was convicted of the offence and sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour within five years while a another five months were suspended on condition he restitutes CETC $74 being the value of the bags of cement that were not recovered.
The magistrate said the court had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that Nkomo stole the cement and that some of the bags were recovered from his field, hence the need for a custodial sentence.
Some of the bags were recovered from his garden while others were recovered from one of the accomplices’ homestead.
Nkomo will serve an effective 14 months in prison.
The State’s case was that on 5 January 2012, CETC left 100 bags on the site covered with a tent and there was no security guard manning the premises.
It is alleged that between 15 and 16 January, Nkomo connived with the three alleged accomplices, Mandla Sibanda, Senior Dube and Junior Dube and loaded 20 bags into a scotch cart and they later shared them. The matter was discovered in the morning and a report was made to the police.
The police reportedly tracked the cart to Nkomo’s homestead who later admitted he knew where the cement was leading to the recovery of eight bags from his garden.
Mr Tawanda Tsatsa prosecuted.
Online Reporter