adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A BULAWAYO man learnt the hard way that crime does not pay when he was fined $100 for stealing a $10 note from an elderly woman. James Mtali, 32, of Old Luveve trailed the elderly woman, Veronica Godzi, 86, as she was shopping in a supermarket in Plumtree and fished $10 out of her pocket.
Mtali was yesterday convicted of theft by Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa. He was also convicted of unlawful possession of dangerous drugs after he was found with dagga.
Ruvetsa reproached Mtali for justifying his actions arguing that he was poor.
“Poverty isn’t an excuse for theft. If you feel you need money you’ve to find a job or start an income-generating project instead of stealing from people. The people that you’ll be stealing from would also be desperate for money.
“To make matters worse you stole from an old woman who can hardly fend for herself and family,” said Ruvetsa.
He ordered Mtali to pay a $100 fine or spend two months in prison for both counts.
Mtali who pleaded with the courts for leniency said he was desperate for money to return to Bulawayo which forced him to steal from the old woman.
Prosecuting, Jane Phiri said Mtali entered Plumtree Bakery Supermarket on March 29 around 5PM pretending to be a customer.
She said he then followed the old woman and stole a $10 note from her dress pocket and hid the money under his left armpit.
“The complainant felt a hand squeeze into her pocket and upon checking, discovered that her $10 note was missing. Godzi then spotted Mtali near her and assumed that he had stolen the money,” said Phiri.
The elderly woman alerted her son who was standing outside the shop before Mtali could leave. Together they searched Mtali and found the money under his armpit.
Phiri said Mtali, however, denied stealing the money.
She said the matter was reported to the police who took Mtali to the supermarket where a video replay of a CCTV showed the man stealing the money from the old woman.
“Upon his arrest Mtali was also found in possession of three twists of dagga which were recovered in his pockets,” said Phiri.
Elderly women have of late fallen victim to various forms of crime that include assault, sexual abuse and robbery. Juvenile criminals have pounced on the elderly taking advantage of their vulnerability.
A 93-year-old visually impaired grandmother from Figtree area was recently battered with a walking stick by her grandson’s 25-year-old girlfriend who was accusing the old woman’s family of failing to support her baby.
A 79-year-old woman from Ndolwane area in Bulilima had her bedroom hut torched by her 36-year-old son who was protesting a poorly prepared meal.
Three old women above 70 years from Vulindlela area in Matobo were recently raped by a man suspected to be in his early 20s.
Online Reporter