The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured convictions in two unrelated theft cases involving property valued at over US$4,500.
In Rusape, 29-year-old Rumbidzai Matangakufa, formerly employed as a till operator at Elimart Trading, was convicted of theft by the Rusape Magistrates’ Court following a series of fraudulent transactions committed between July and December 2024.
Matangakufa manipulated the point-of-sale system by printing “re-print” receipts of previous transactions without authorisation and handing them to unsuspecting customers as valid receipts.
The fraud came to light on 17 December 2024, when a security guard identified a suspicious re-print for two 10kg bags of brown sugar.
Despite the accused’s attempt to dissuade the guard from reporting the matter, management was informed and a review of CCTV footage confirmed the fraudulent scheme.
An external audit conducted on 16 January 2025 corroborated the findings, revealing repeated instances of unauthorised re-printing from the accused’s till.
The total value of stolen goods amounted to US$4,448.00. None of the stolen items were recovered. Matangakufa was sentenced to an effective prison term of 18 months.
In a separate case in Redcliff, 21-year-old Francis Taderera of Torwood was convicted of theft after stealing household items from a tenant residing at his parents’ property.
Between 18 and 21 April 2025, while the tenant, Reliance Matutuka (28), was away, Taderera unlawfully took a blue “cheap frier” and a pair of jean trousers from the complainant’s room.
The offender later sold the frier to a neighbour for US$35. Upon Matutuka’s return on 22 April, Taderera admitted to taking the appliance for his wife and promised to return it within two weeks—a promise he failed to honour.
The frier was eventually recovered from the neighbour, but the jeans remain missing. The total value of the stolen items was US$150, with US$140 worth recovered.
Taderera was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment. Two months were suspended for five years, and the remaining eight months were conditionally suspended on the requirement that he completes 280 hours of community service.
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