Zimpapers Logo

Cynthia Dube, Court Reporter
A SERIAL thief from Bulawayo has been sentenced to six years in prison for stealing property worth about $4 000 from four houses.

Nyasha Siziba (35) of no fixed abode appeared before magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya facing eight counts of unlawful entry and theft.

Siziba stole property from two houses in Suburbs, one in New Harrisvale and another in Hillside.

The court heard that he stole the property between November last year and January this year. He was arrested last week on Wednesday.

Yesterday, the magistrate noticed Siziba was not new in the courts as he ordered him to perform community service last year after he stole clothes from a local supermarket.

Siziba was convicted on his plea to stealing property including 32 inch plasma televisions, bedding, HP laptop and DVDs.

“I sold the property to buy food and clothes for myself. I was broke and l needed the money to maintain my wife and my two children,” he said.

Mr Tashaya sentenced him to an effective three years in prison.

“A year is suspended on a condition that you restitute the complainants before March 14. Two years is suspended on a condition that you do not commit a similar crime in the next five years,” said Mr Tashaya.

In passing sentence, Mr Tashaya said Siziba committed a very serious offence which “unfortunately” only carries an effective three years imprisonment.

Prosecuting Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said on November 4, 2016 at around 11PM, Siziba unlawfully entered a house along Park Road in Suburbs while the owner was in South Africa and stole bedding.

“The accused person stole a mattress, six blankets, three duvets, three bedspreads, two sheets and two pillows. He also took two small sub woofer speakers, a 5kg gas cylinder, a handbag, a pan, a curtain and a dress,” said Mr Dlodlo.

He said on December 5, Siziba went to a house in New Harrisvale suburb and prised a door open with a crowbar.

“While inside the house, he took a 33 inch Sony Bravia plasma television, a gas cylinder, three cubes of bath soap, a pair of boots, two loaves of bread and a plate,” said Mr Dlodlo.

The court heard that a week later, Siziba proceeded to a house which is located along Clark Road in Suburbs and stole property.

“ The accused person took a 32 inch plasma TV, an HP laptop, one Ecco DVD player, two internal hard drives and a travelling bag containing various types of clothes including two pairs of suits,” said Mr Dlodlo.

The prosecutor said on January 31 at around 9PM, Siziba went to a police officer’s house and stole furniture and food.

He said Siziba took one black Ecco DVD player, a sub woofer, an iron, black suit and grocery including 1 kg of chicken, 2 litres of cooking oil, 1 kg of sugar and rice.

The court heard that only property valued at $605 was recovered.

@cynthiamthembo1