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Codelia Mondela, Court Reporter
A 23-YEAR-OLD sex worker from Bulawayo was yesterday convicted of stealing property worth more than $9 000 from two clients and a shop in the city centre.

Police recovered at least 25 stolen cellphones from Itai Muzambi’s home in Entumbane suburb following her arrest on August 31.

A court heard that Muzambi stole a Samsung Galaxy phone and an Itel cellphone worth $500 from a client when he fell asleep as they were sitting in his car.

She also stole $237 from a client’s EcoCash account when he fell asleep while they were booked at a city lodge.

Muzambi also connived with her boyfriend Xolani Ncube and broke into Cellular Centre shop in Bulawayo where they stole laptops and cellphones worth more than $6 000.

Ncube is on the run.

Muzambi pleaded guilty to one count of theft before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Nyarai Ringisai.

She pleaded not guilty to theft, unlawful entry into premises and being found in possession of property suspected to be stolen.

Ms Ringisai found Muzambi guilty as charged and remanded her in custody to Monday for   sentencing.

She said Muzambi had no right to steal from her clients. The magistrate said Muzambi was trying to blame Xolani for the stolen phones when they acted in common purpose.

Prosecuting, Mr Charles Danda said a salesman from Lobels, Mr Vutani Sibanda, hired Muzambi for her services on July 27. They sat in his car and when he fell asleep, Muzambi stole his Samsung Galaxy phone and an Itel cellphone worth $500.

“On August 16, Mr Chuma Mulaki Lackson (61) hired her and booked a place at a lodge. During the night Muzambi woke up, took Mr Lackson’s phone and stole $237 from his EcoCash account. She transferred the money to another phone,” Mr Danda said.

The court heard that on August 12 at midnight, Muzambi and Ncube cut the lock of the door at Cellular Centre shop in the city centre and stole laptops and cellphones worth $6 655.

Last year, Muzambi was acquitted of unlawful entry and theft charges after she looted property worth $1 688 from a senior Government official after he failed to pay her for services rendered following a romp at his matrimonial home in Bulawayo.

She took a Plasma TV, DVD, laptop, blankets, two cellphones, a comforter, men’s and women’s clothes, shoes, a wrist watch, suitcase, a Kenwood speaker, 3kg of meat, a gas stove including its cables and tanks from Raymond Nyandoro, a principal town planning officer in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing stationed at Mhlahlandlela offices in the city.

In 2014, Muzambi dragged a man from Cowdray Park to court after he refused to pay maintenance for their six-year-old child claiming that she had named the child after her ex-boyfriend.

Magistrate Mr Victor Mpofu ordered Musharu to pay $50 monthly until the child reached the age of 18. – @MondelaC