Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A CHIMANIMANI man is at the centre of a brick theft scandal that has left his neighbour fuming and seeking justice.
Taurai Dhliwayo and her neighbour, Henry Matemure, are embroiled in a bitter dispute over the theft of the 3 000 bricks. The matter was brought before Chief Saurombe’s community court last Sunday.
Matemure, who is now on the run, allegedly stole the bricks meant to construct Dhliwayo’s tuckshop, selling them behind her back and later avoiding all contact when confronted about it.
Dhliwayo, who brought the matter to court, said she delayed constructing the tuckshop due to financial constraints, but the bricks had already been secured at the designated site.
Matemure allegedly approached her and asked if she could sell him the bricks, claiming he had a buyer lined up.
Dhliwayo refused, citing mistrust in Matemure’s ability to pay or return the bricks if the deal fell through.
Despite her refusal, Matemure allegedly stole the bricks and sold them.
Dhliwayo only became aware of the theft when her builders were about to start work on the tuckshop.
“I could not believe it. The bricks were gone, and when I approached Matemure about it, he admitted that he had taken them and promised to return them in August last year. That was in March last year,” Dhliwayo told the court.
She further explained that a follow up with Matemure in August drew blanks.
He ignored all her efforts to communicate with him.
She had initially hoped to resolve the matter amicably, but was forced to seek justice after Matemure fled after seeing her earlier this month.
“I was shocked to see him running away from me like a guilty man. That was the final straw when I saw Matemure in the neighbourhood and tried to confront him, only for him to take off running.
“He even blocked my cellphone number. That is when I knew he had no intention of returning the bricks or compensating me. I decided to report the matter because it had become clear to me that he was purposefully avoiding me,” she added.
However, Matemure failed to show up for the court hearing despite having been summoned, prompting Chief Saurombe to adjourn the matter to March 2.
Despite his absence, Chief Saurombe had strong words regarding Matemure’s actions.
“This kind of behaviour is unacceptable. If you know you have wronged someone, the least you can do is face them and try to find a way to resolve the matter. According to what has been said in this court today, he was clearly told that the bricks were not for sale, yet he decided to take matters into his own hands. Now he is running away instead of facing justice,” said Chief Saurombe.
Chief Saurombe warned that if Matemure failed to appear in court on March 2, he would face serious consequences.
“We do not tolerate dishonesty in this community. Matemure must appear before this court and explain himself. This is a clear case of dishonesty. If someone refuses to sell you something, it does not give you the right to take it by force. This court does not tolerate theft, and should Matemure fail to appear in the next session, we will take action against him,” he ruled.
Online Reporter