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Gift Hungwe (left), Stanley Sibindi and Allen Dube outside Gwanda Magistrate’s Court

Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THREE Zephyr Mine “employees” in Gwanda District yesterday appeared in court for stealing gold worth $17,200 from their employer.
Allen Dube, 35, Gift Hungwe, 28, and Stanley Sibindi, 36, pleaded guilty and were convicted of theft of 647 grammes of amalgam gold when they appeared before Matabeleland South provincial magistrate-in-charge Reuben Mukavhi.

They were each fined $300 or 60 days in prison. Six months were wholly suspended for five years on condition they do not commit a similar offence.

They said they were overcome with temptation to steal the precious mineral because they had never seen so much gold before.

The court heard that Sibindi was the ring leader.

“When I discovered the gold I was so surprised because we had gone for months digging without getting anything. I then called my colleagues and suggested that we steal part of the gold so that we sell it, share the money and support our families,” he said.

In mitigation, the three said they all had responsibilities of looking after their families.

They said at the mine, they were paid by commission.

“I have learnt a big lesson that I must not take anything that does not belong to me but to be patient until I’m given my share,” said Dube.

Hungwe said his parents were both late and he looked after his siblings.

Prosecutor Mncedisi Dube narrated how the three connived to steal from Dengu.

“On a date unknown to the prosecutor but during the month of August 2014, the three accused persons were working at the complainant’s mine when they discovered visible gold. The accused persons stole the gold concentrate and hand milled it in the bush and got 647 grammes of amalgam gold,” he said.

The trio sold 480 grammes to one Sibusiso Ncube and shared the money.

Dube and Sibindi each got $6,000 while Hungwe got $3,000.

“The offence came to light on August 24 when the complainant received a tip off and made a report to the police. The three were arrested and 107g of stolen gold was recovered from Hungwe and 60g from Sibindi,” the court heard.

The three led police to the recovery of $13,600 whereas the recovered gold was taken for assay and contained 111.085g of pure gold valued at $4,221.23.

In passing sentence, magistrate Mukavhi said he had considered that the three were partners of the complainant and Zephyr Mine owner, Richard Paradzai Dengu and that they had gone for about a year without getting any money.

The extracted gold was supposed to be shared between Dengu and the trio.

“You cannot be treated like ordinary thieves who go out to steal because you worked for this gold. You did not benefit from the offence since police recovered all you had stolen. You had not been getting money for almost a year, indeed the temptation for you to steal was great and there is no need for this court to be unduly harsh in sentencing you,” said Mukavhi.