Sundaymail Editor
Grace Kaerasora
TWO Beatrice men were last week sentenced to nine years in jail each after being found guilty of stock theft.
Mojapelo Dzingirai Taruvinga (35) and Luckson Kufa (30) of Plot 6 and 4 of Denby Farm were found guilty of stealing four goats and a cow in Beatrice.
Taruvinga and Kufa appeared before magistrate Mr Oliver Mudzongachiso charged with two counts of stock theft as defined in section 114(2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23).
Mr Mudzongachiso sentenced the duo to six months imprisonment each for stealing goats, and an additional nine years each for theft of a cow valued at US$500.
The goats were stolen from Mr Murambiwa Chimanga who had released them from their pen for grazing; whilst the heifer belonged to Mr Jimmy Chikaphupha’s of Plot 9 of Denby Farm.
Prosecutor Mr Tendai Katonha told the court that, “In the period between January 2017 and the April 9, the two accused took four goats worth US$180 from the pastures and drove them to Kufa’s house where they slaughtered them.”
The accused persons then took the meat to a food retailer in Beatrice and sold it to Mr Moses Luzani. Murambiwa and Chikaphupha both made police reports about their missing livestock and investigations led to Taruvinga and Kufa’s arrest.
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