Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Mashudu Mambo
A 26-YEAR-OLD landlady from Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo has been nabbed together with her lover for allegedly stealing a tenant’s car.
Natalie Ndlovu and Ennock Tafirenyika pleaded not guilty to the charge of car theft before Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza. They were however, convicted and sentenced.
The couple was sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of the sentence was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
While handing down the sentence, the magistrate stated that the number of car theft cases was on the rise and there was a need for courts to deter like-minded people.
“In handing down the sentence, the court took into consideration that the crime was premeditated and that the cases of motor vehicle thefts are on the rise. It is the duty of courts to ensure that they discourage this behaviour and protect victims,” he said.
During the trial, Ndlovu denied conspiring with her lover in stealing her tenant’s vehicle.
“This is a false allegation. I only informed him about the vehicle because he kept on asking me why it was stationary, l was not aware of his intentions to steal it. He is just jealous, he wants me to be in prison because he fears that I will move on if I am not imprisoned,” she said.
Tafirenyika pleaded guilty to the crime in a police statement and implicated Ndlovu as the one who orchestrated the theft.
The court heard that on 28 October 2024 at around 1am, Tafirenyika in the company of an unknown accomplice pushed Chuma’s Toyota Corolla car which had been parked in the yard for over two years out of the yard.
The duo jump-started the vehicle using Tafirenyika’s Honda Fit and drove away unnoticed. The matter was reported to the police and investigations were conducted leading to the arrest of Tafirenyika. The investigations further revealed that the couple had intended to sell the car in a neighbouring town.
