METAL HEIST MADNESS – Bulawayo man nabbed trying to sell stolen steel

Magistrate Ashton Dube challenged Machika’s justification, saying his actions were a direct violation of the child’s rights and an obstruction of due legal process.

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A 43-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man learned the hard way that stealing is not worth the risk after he was caught trying to profit from his crime.

Maburetse Maguta was convicted for stealing metal steel worth $300 from Conluit Engineering Company.

Bulawayo Magistrate Maxwell Ncube slapped Maguta with a $300 fine. Failure to pay would see him spend five months behind bars, though two months were suspended for five years, giving him a slim lifeline if he stays on the straight and narrow.

Prosecutor Mehluli Ndlovu told the court that the theft happened on September 11, between 8 AM and 12 PM. Maguta allegedly sneaked onto the Conluit Engineering Company premises and made off with two large metal pieces measuring 2.3 meters by 100 millimeters by 50 meters, as well as a 500-millimeter metal sheet.

The plot unravelled just four days later when Maguta was spotted in Renkini attempting to sell the stolen steel to a scrap metal company. Authorities swooped in, recovering the stolen property and bringing him to justice.

The complainant, Clopas Sibanda, representing Conluit Engineering, confirmed the value of the stolen materials and hailed the police for their swift action.

Maguta’s escapade may have seemed clever to him, but in the end, it only led to court, a fine, and a warning from the magistrate.

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