A man identified as Witness Sibanda has been sentenced to 12 Months in prison for stealing household items, including towels, bed sheets, light bulbs, and a solar panel, from two Harris Lodges in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
According to reports, the 24-year-old Entumbane man checked into the lodge as a regular guest but tried to run away with the stolen goods, which also included a cup and a plate.
His escape was aborted by an alert the lodge security personnel made. with the support of the local neighbourhood watch committee. Armed detectives later arrested him, and all stolen items were successfully recovered.
The total value of the stolen items was estimated at US$480.
He appeared before Magistrate Eva Matura and pleaded guilty to the charges. In a plea for leniency, he told the court that he was unmarried but had a six-year-old child and claimed he stole the items for personal use.
However, the court was not swayed by his appeal. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with three months suspended for five years. The remaining nine months were converted into 315 hours of community service at Siyazama Primary School.
