Stock thief blames ancestors

Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who stole three head of cattle from a fellow villager pleaded with a court to set him free saying his ancestors misled him in a dream to steal the cattle.

Tawanda Chipururu of village 15, Dwala resettlement in West Nicholson, was convicted on his own plea of guilty to stocktheft by Gwanda provincial magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo.

The magistrate sentenced him to 15 years but he will serve an effective 12 years after three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour. Admitting the offence, Chipururu said he stole the beasts after being directed to do so in a dream by his ancestors.

“My late grandfather directed me to steal the beasts in a dream,” he said. Prosecuting, Takunda Mafudze told the court that on September 29 this year, Chipururu stole cattle belonging to a fellow villager, Edmos Tabvarwa, from a grazing area in Dwala.

“The accused person drove two oxen and a cow all branded, from Dwala grazing area to Stanton Lindon’s residence at plot 7 Mashura ranch, West Nicholson where he intended to sell them without the complainant’s consent.

“The accused deceived Stanton Lindon with a forged clearance letter which indicated that the clearance was witnessed by village head Diniwe Chipiningure, secretary Denis Bvuku and his father Njanya Chipururu,” said Mafudze.

The court heard that Lindon agreed to the transaction and bought the beasts for $1,460.

Lindon, the court heard, rebranded the animals with his mark.

On October 16 at around 4PM, the stolen cow showed up at Tabvarwa’s homestead at village 14 Dwala resettlement pulling a chain, with a bell on its neck and a tag on the left ear labelled ’05 MUNT,’ the court heard.

Mafudze said on the same day at around 5PM, a man from Matabo area came to claim the cow saying he had he had exchanged it for an ox with Lindon.

“On 17 October 2015, the complainant proceeded to Lindon’s residence where he positively identified his two missing oxen in Lindon’s kraal,” said Mafudze.

Investigations led to Chipururu’s arrest.