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TWO men were sentenced to a year in prison each for setting snares in the bush and stealing maize and butternuts from a farmer’s field in Nyamandlovu.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said Lovemore Sibanda (38) and Philani Ncube (19) were convicted and sentenced at the Magistrates’ Circuit Court sitting in Nyamandlovu on a single count of setting class one wire snares and another count of theft.
“The State proved that on the 24th of April 2024, Mazibuko Sibanda who is a villager in Village 7, Nyamandlovu, found a set wire snare in a forest near the village. He went back to the village and informed the other villagers who mobilized themselves and tracked the spoor in the forest leading to the accused persons’ arrest. The accused persons led the villagers to ten other sites where they had set the wire snares,” read the statement.
The NPAZ said on the same day before setting the wire snares the accused persons were seen by Jane Nyathi’s grandson stealing dry maize cobs and butternuts from her field.
“When Jane Nyathi’s grandson asked the accused persons who had given them the authority to harvest crops in the field they threatened to stab him. He went home and reported the mater to the complainant. The complainant’s son went to the field and he saw the accused persons fleeing the scene. The total value stolen was USD88.50 and nothing was recovered. He was able to identify them following their arrest for setting the traps,” read the statement.
The NPAZ said the accused persons were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment wholly suspended for count one and to a further 20 months imprisonment for count two of which six months were suspended.
A further 11 months were suspended on condition that they perform 385 hours community service.
The remaining three months were suspended on condition that the accused persons pay USD44.50 each as restitution to the complainant.
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