Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
A 21-year-old man from Old Lobengula suburb in Bulawayo, Mthabisi Sibanda, who was facing charges of unlawful entry, has been sentenced to perform 105 hours of community service.
Magistrate Mr Archie Wochiwunga, sitting at the Western Commonage court, sentenced Sibanda to carry out the community service at Cowdray Park Health Centre within three weeks. Additionally, he ordered Sibanda to pay US$80 to Mr Ncube via the clerk of court before August 30, 2025.
According to the facts presented by prosecutor Ms Audrey Kufandikanwe, the incident occurred on June 28, 2025, at around 10 pm.
Mr. Atlas Ncube (55) had locked his door and window and traveled to Nkayi to his rural area. As Ncube lives alone, he instructed his son, Alexander, who resides in Parkland, to periodically check on his house.
On June 29, Alexander visited his father’s house and discovered that some of his father’s property was missing and that the door lock had been broken. He immediately phoned his father to inform him of the incident.
Upon receiving the news, Ncube returned from Nkayi to his residence and found that several items were missing, including a Samsung plasma TV, a TV remote, a Samsung TV power cable, a white three-meter cable adapter, an
Ecco home theater, a Huawei cellphone, two car batteries, a tool box and two black jackets.
Ncube later reported that on a Sunday, he saw police officers from Njube police station arriving at his house around 11 am, accompanied by the accused person. Sibanda then narrated that on June 28, 2025, at around 10 pm, he and his two accomplices, who are still at large, had gone to Ncube’s house. Sibanda claimed that he was instructed by his friends to stand watch at the gate while they broke into Ncube’s house and removed the stolen property.
Ncube followed the police officers to Western Commonage police station, where he recovered his Samsung television.
He also accompanied the police to Sibanda’s residence, where they found the home theater, white adapter, TV remote, TV power cable and toolbox. Sibanda told the police that the remaining stolen property was in the possession of his two accomplices, who are still at large.
The total value of the stolen goods was estimated to be US$760.00, while the value of the recovered property was US$680.00. Sibanda pleaded guilty to the charges, resulting in the sentence imposed by Magistrate Wochiwunga.
