A SOLDIER was yesterday slapped with a 10-month prison term for stealing eight bags of cement at Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo’s residence.
Naboth Muzvare, 28, pleaded guilty to theft charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Sheunesu Matova yesterday.
He was ordered to pay $2 000 fine or spend five months in jail, the other five months were suspended on condition that Muzvare does not commit a similar offence within five years.
“I have considered that the accused person pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time. He did not benefit from the criminal enterprise since all the stolen property was recovered before he left the residence,” Matova said in passing sentence.
“However, it is clear that this offence was premeditated and the accused person breached the trust bestowed upon him by his employer who deployed him to ensure that residence is secured. The court takes matters of employees that steal from employers seriously.”
Muzvare’s accomplices Raphael Hwenjere, 29, Peace Perire, 27, and Desmond Chiwarire, 27, whom he had hired for transportation of the cement were released on $350 bail each and remanded to May 5 for trial.
In mitigation, Muzvare said he was a father of two and breadwinner to his siblings adding that he hoped to use the cement to build in his rural home.
The complainant was Musarurwa Moone of One Commando Regiment, Craneborne in Harare.
Prosecutors Lovemore Siyamunda and Nancy Chandakaona proved that on April 11 Muzvare connived with Hwenjere, Perire and Chiwariro to steal from 34 A Combie Drive, Glen Lorne in Harare.
They used a commuter omnibus which was driven by Perire and loaded eight bags of cement and drove towards a security check point where Collen Ngwenya and his colleagues who are members of the neighbourhood watch were on duty.
Ngwenya asked about the source of the cement but they failed to give a satisfactory answer.
Hwenjere then called Muzvare to the check point and he tried to convince Ngwenya to allow his accomplices to exit but he refused.
Ngwenya then escalated the matter to Moone who said the accused persons had not been authorised to take cement out of the premises leading to their arrest.