In a stark lesson for potential livestock thieves, a 36-year-old man from Grandville Farm, Zvishavane, received a hefty 54-year jail term for stealing 49 cattle in the Lalapanzi area near Gweru.

Magistrate Constance Mutandwa handed down the sentence to Tinodakufa Hove, who was found guilty on six counts of stock theft.According to the State, in July 2021, Benedict Mugari (81) of 22 Nantes Village, Gwanza, Lalapanzi, released his herd of cattle to graze.

On the same day, Hove allegedly stole seven cattle belonging to Mugari and transported them to Grandville Farm.

Hove faced additional charges for incidents on March 29, 2022, where he reportedly stole seven cattle from Methias Toperesu’s MZ4 Tokwe farm in Lalapanzi, and on June 24, 2022, where he again stole seven cattle from Nantes village, Gwanza, Lalapanzi, driving them to his farm.

Further offenses occurred on March 27, 2023, when Hove allegedly stole 12 cattle from Farm 4 Gwanza in Lalapanzi owned by Eliot Matumbu, and in the same month, when he reportedly took nine cattle from Nomsa Munyimi’s open grazing lands. Additionally, on July 25, 2023, Hove was accused of unlawfully taking seven cattle from Mushava Brenda’s kraal, transporting them from Gwanza West Village to the Gamwa area.