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Sukulwenkosi Dube- Matutu
A 32-YEAR-OLD Bulilima man has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for stealing property worth $105 from Masotsha Primary School including food meant for the school feeding programme.
Lovemore Ngwenya of Figtree area broke into the school storeroom in the middle of the night and stole a 50 kilogrammes bag of rice, an axe and three pick heads.
He was convicted on his own plea of guilty to unlawful entry by Plumtree magistrate Taurai Manwere.
Ngwenya was also sentenced to nine months imprisonment for unlawful entry and theft in 2013 and three months of his sentence was suspended.
a�?You committed a serious offence which has become common and problematic in this part of the country. You deserve a jail sentence because it appears you are unrepentant as you keep committing the same offence.
a�?For this offence I sentence you to 21 months imprisonment and your three months sentence which was suspended is brought into effect meaning that you will serve an effective 24 months jail sentence,a�? said Manwere.
In his mitigation Ngwenya said he robbed the school in order to raise money to fend for his family.
Prosecuting, Elisha Mazorodze said Ngwenya broke into the school during the holidays.
a�?When schools closed on 8 December Sakheleni Jubane who is the headmistress at Masotsha Primary left six by 50 kilogrammes rice, nine by 50 kilogrammes of maize, three pick heads and an axe secured in a locked storeroom.
a�?Ngwenya opened a classroom window and broke the storeroom padlock. He stole three pick heads, an axe and a 50 kilogramme bag of rice. The food was meant for the school feeding programme,a�? he said.
Mazorodze said Ngwenya then sold the two pick heads to two villagers in the area while he converted the bag of rice to his own use and used the pick head and axe.
He said Jubane discovered that the property had been stolen on January 10 and reported the matter to the police.
Mazorodze said police received information that Ngwenya had sold the stolen property.
a�?Ngwenya was arrested leading to the recovery of the two pick heads that he had sold while the other property wasna��t recovered. The stolen property was valued at $105 and property worth $31 was recovered,a�? he said.
derick.khumalo