An ex-convict is back behind bars after turning down an offer to perform community service following his arrest for stealing an iPhone.
Bernard Hwete, also known as Liquid Yonke, was released less than two years ago after serving a sentence for drug-related offences.
When he appeared before the Harare Magistrate on theft charges, Hwete refused the magistrate’s offer to carry out community service, claiming that cleaning the city is the responsibility of the Harare City Council.
Speaking to H-Metro, Hwete said he blames a woman he met while out in the city’s nightlife for his return to prison. He said:
“I had promised myself I wouldn’t return to prison after completing my drug sentence in March 2024.
“But after my release, I fell for a lady of the night who took me to a nightclub along Nelson Mandela Avenue.
“It was during this night out that the situation took a drastic turn.
“While at the club, the lady stole the latest iPhone from another customer.
“In a moment of desperation, I grabbed the phone from her, not realising the chaos that would follow.
“When she reported me to the police, I tried to settle the matter by offering her US$40 for the phone, but someone tipped her off about its value, which is comparable to a Honda Fit.”
Hwete had been offered the chance to perform community service but turned it down, telling the magistrate that cleaning the city should be left to the Harare City Council.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with five months suspended.
By Tuesday afternoon, Hwete was among 2,260 inmates at Harare Central Prison, which has a capacity of just 1,128.
He was one of the beneficiaries of an outreach initiative organised by the Pathway to Reintegration Foundation (PAREF) in partnership with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service.
Madzibaba Nigel Dokwani of Johanne Masowe yeChishanu donated plastic shoes, toiletries, toothbrushes and soccer balls to the inmates.
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