By A Correspondent- A Mvuma man has been arrested after he allegedly broke into two premises in Gwanda and stole property worth $42 000 before burning property worth $15 000.
Robert Raymond Manyimo (26) allegedly broke into his friend’s house and stole some electric gadgets before breaking into a shop in the central business district (CBD) and stole property belonging to various occupants.
Manyimo pleaded not guilty to three counts of unlawful entry, four counts of theft and one count of malicious damage to property when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda.
He was remanded out of custody on $100 bail to January 15 for continuation of trial. Prosecuting, Miss Glenda Nare said Manyimo committed the offences on September 17 last year.
“On 17 September at around 11AM Manyimo went to visit his friends Mr Energy Chinyoka and Mr Oratile Nyoni at their house.
They later went to town together and his friends left their home locked. Manyimo later left Mr Chinyoka and Mr Nyoni in town and went to their house.
He used a duplicate key which he had stolen from Mr Chinyoka earlier and used it to unlock the door and gained entry.
He stole a Samsung laptop, power bank, USB and cellphone all valued at $2 500 belonging to Mr Nyoni and left.
“On the same day at around midnight Manyimo went to Ms Lenia Tshuma’s shop at Mabhizeni in the Gwanda CBD where he used an unknown object to break the door open. While inside, Manyimo stole electric gadgets worth $36 860 from Mr Keeper Kwarire who sells electricals in the shop. He proceeded to a section of the shop rented by Ms Siphathisiwe Nyathi who operates a salon and stole 12 packets of hair braids valued at $80,” she said.
Ms Nare said Manyimo also stole three hair clippers valued at $1 260 belonging to Mr Blessing Dube who runs a barber shop. She said he also stole property worth $1 010 belonging to Ms Yvonne Ncube who operates a salon. Ms Nare said after stealing the property Manyimo set the shop on fire and damaged property worth $14 445 before fleeing.
She said Manyimo was stopped by police officers who were on cycle patrol whilst carrying the stolen goods in a bag after he had left the shop.
They questioned Manyimo who indicated that he had been sent by a friend to buy the property on his behalf from South Africa and they let him go. Miss Nare said the following morning the complainants discovered the offence and reported the matter to the police. Manyimo was arrested on October 1 in Mvuma following police investigations.
-StateMedia