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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent

A MAN from Zvishavane has been jailed for 10 years for stealing two vehicles which he later went on to sell.

Shelton Dube (28) from Mandove also stole $300 which was given to him to pay a debt. He was convicted on his own plea of guilty to three counts of theft by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mrs Sibonginkosi Mkandla.

Dube was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.

Prosecuting, Mr Khumbulani Nyoni said Dube stole a Fun Cargo vehicle from a fuel queue at a filling station in Zvishavane and a Toyota Sprinter from a garage at Mawabeni Business Centre where it was being repaired.

“On 9 February Mr Ronald Sibanda joined a fuel queue at Total Filling Station along Robert Mugabe Way in Zvishavane. He left his white Toyota Fun Cargo in the queue unattended with the keys in the ignition. Shelton took advantage of the complainant’s absence and stole the motor vehicle and fled the scene,” said Mr Nyoni.

“Shelton later sold the vehicle to someone in Mawabeni Township. The matter was reported to the police who carried out investigations which led to Shelton’s arrest and recovery of the vehicle. The car is worth US$2 000.”

Mr Nyoni said on February 17, Ms Ntombiyomusa Dube assigned her father Mr Elijah Dube to take her motor vehicle, a Toyota Sprinter to a garage at Mawabeni Business Centre for repairs. He said Mr Dube left the vehicle with Mr Wisdom Zondo to fix it.

Mr Nyoni said the following day, Mr Zondo left the vehicle unlocked in the garage and placed the keys under a mat inside the vehicle anticipating that the owner would come and collect it during his absence.

“Shelton went into the garage while there was no one and stole the vehicle and fled with it. Upon his return Mr Zondo assumed that the owner had collected the vehicle as it was gone. The matter came to light on February 20 when Mr Dube came to collect the car and discovered that it had been stolen,” he said.

The matter was reported to the police resulting in Dube’s arrest and recovery of the vehicle which he had sold. The value of the vehicle is US$2 500.

Mr Nyoni said under the third count Shelton was on November 1 last year given $300 by Ms Neria Midzi to give Ms Selulekile Nyathi as payment for a debt. He said he converted the money to his own use.

@DubeMatutu