A 23-year-old Zvishavane man has been jailed after stealing his girlfriend’s car and using it as collateral to borrow money without her knowledge.
The court heard that on 20 January 2024, Abel Chitsvare was entrusted with his 33-year-old girlfriend’s grey Honda Fit at Mandava business centre in Zvishavane. She had asked him to use the car to collect some money from the town centre, but Chitsvare had other plans.
Instead of sticking to the agreed errand, he drove to Masvingo and secured a US$1,000 loan from a local car sale, leaving the vehicle as security, without informing the owner.
He promised to repay the money the next day, but returned instead to borrow another US$1,000.
On 22 January, just two days after taking the car, Chitsvare went back a third time and took out a further US$1,700 from the same business.
The car, valued at US$7,500, remained in the hands of the car dealer, who held onto it until the loan was settled, though that never happened.
When Chitsvare failed to offer a credible explanation for the missing vehicle, his girlfriend reported the matter to the police. The car was eventually recovered, and the case landed in court.
At the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court, Chitsvare was convicted of theft of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison, with 12 months suspended, meaning he will serve 24 months behind bars.
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