Mt Hampden ‘soldier’ fined US$50

Tinashe Piruke (32) of Old Willdale compound in Mt Hampden pleaded guilty to the charges before Harare magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande.
He was ordered to pay the fine on or before January 12 with an option of 20 days in prison. Piruke pleaded for the court’s leniency and set the gallery in laughter when he said he believed his wife would take it lightly after finding out his lie. But Spiwe Petro (26) did not take lightly his husband’s lie and reported him for impersonating a soldier.
Prosecutor Auxillia Magwaira told the court that the two, Piruke and Petro met sometime in April last year.
Piruke introduced himself to Petro as Steward Moyo and told her that he was a member of the army stationed at Pomona Barracks.
A month later Petro eloped to Piruke’s house.
During their stay, Piruke would leave every morning on the pretext that he was going for work.
On several occasions, the two would quarrel over Piruke’s failure to bring pay slips home. They also argued over where Piruke was keeping his service uniforms.
On December 3, Petro saw a photograph of Piruke posing in a camouflage. Piruke quickly took the photograph away indicating that he wanted to enlarge it.
The quarrel over payslips was re-ignited on New Year’s eve after Petro endured a sombre Christmas without good food.
Petro proceeded to Mt Hampden police station where she filed a report.
Piruke was then arrested.