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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
THREE teenagers have been convicted of stock theft after they stole 20 pigeons and five rabbits recently.

Lucky Nyathi (18) of Magwegwe North, Gabriel Yowani (17) of the same suburb and Onesimo Mapurisa whose age could not be ascertained all appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube facing three counts of stealing the pigeons (inkwilimba) and rabbits.

Nyathi and Yowani pleaded guilty to three counts of theft, and Mapurisa admitted one out of three counts, and was acquitted for the other two as the state proved that he was not there when his accomplices committed  them.

Ms Dube spared them jail and cautioned them for the first count. She, however, slapped them with a $90 fine for the second count. Failure to pay will see them spending 30 days in jail.

Said the magistrate: “Mapurisa and Yowani you will pay another $40 fine for the second count, or alternatively spend 10 days in prison.”

Prosecuting, Ms Magaret Takawira said on August 21 at around 5AM in Lobengula West, the complainant’s father was awakened by noise and footsteps in the yard. He woke up his son, Mengezi Ndebele, who went outside to investigate and found out that his eight pigeons were missing.

“The complainant found that unknown persons had forced open a fowl run and stolen his eight pigeons,” said Takawira.

The court heard that on August 19, Michael Dube of Gwabalanda suburb lost 12 pigeons, which the gang also admitted to have stolen.

The prosecutor said: “On the following night, the duo stole five rabbits and two pigeons from Norton Ndlovu of the same suburb.”

The thieving teens were busted when Ndebele’s friend spotted one of them selling a pigeon for $2 in the streets. Ndebele identified it as his.

After a scuffle with the seller, he proceeded to report the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of the three.

Pigeons have a street value of $7 for a male and female pair.

The total value of the stolen stock is $109 and only that worth $55 was recovered.

@andile_tshuma