adminSukulwenkosi Dube
A 23-YEAR-OLD Bulilima man has been ordered to pay a $30 fine after he stole a chicken from his aunt in a bid to reconcile with his lover.
Polite Tshuma of Tokwana area was convicted of stocktheft by Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon.
He pleaded guilty to stealing a chicken from 65-year-old Kokela Tshuma.
“I have a chicken of mine which I gave to the complainant’s son for safe keeping and he told me to collect it from his mother’s fowl run.
“Unfortunately, I took the wrong chicken as I took a cock instead of a hen.
“I did not take it on purpose Your Worship I just wanted to give the chicken to my girlfriend because we had an argument and I wanted to take it to her as a peace offering. My brother discovered the chicken before I realised that I had taken the wrong one.
“Had I seen that earlier I would have returned it myself,” said Tshuma in his defence.
Mr Philemon ordered Tshuma to pay a $30 fine or spend 10 days in prison in case of default.
Prosecuting, Mr Clemence Shawarira said Tshuma stole the chicken from his aunt’s homestead on 15 June around midnight.
He said Tshuma opened the fowl run and stole one cock and went away unnoticed.
Mr Shawarira said Tshuma’s brother then saw the cock in his brother’s bedroom hut the following morning and advised the elderly woman.
“The complainant managed to identify the cock as hers and she reported the matter to the police resulting in her nephew’s arrest. The cock was valued at $10,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu