DRIVER STEALS US7 259 TO PAY SANGOMA

A Bulawayo driver has been jailed for an effective six months forstealing US$7 259 and R10 000 from his employer.  Bongani Matshazi was initially slapped with a 30-month prison term by a magistrate Bulawayo magistrate, suspended 12 months of the sentence on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in five years. Another 12 months were suspended on condition that he restitutes the money stolen.

“The degree of moral blameworthiness was high and the offender deserves a custodial sentence. Only US$530 was recovered from the sum of US$7 259 and R10 000, which was entrusted to the offender, thus, the offender benefited greatly from the commission of the offence.

“Furthermore the employee tried to cover up the crime by making a false report that he had been robbed and yet he had diverted the money to pay a traditional healer for cleansing purposes.

“While the court noted that the offender seemed to be a novice in terms of committing crime, he had started from the deeper end and had consequently drowned. He is accordingly sentenced to six months effective imprisonment," said the magistrate.

The court had heard that Matshazi was employed at Zimsend Pvt Ltd as a driver and was tasked with transporting the money to a Plumtree-based supermarket. He claimed that he had been robbed.

Matshazi told the court that he had intended to use the money to pay a traditional healer to cleanse him of evil spirits.

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