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Nomvelo Siziba, Chronicle Reporter

A ZAMBIAN cross border vendor has been arrested for border jumping and stealing chairs and building material from a restaurant in Victoria Falls.

Morrison Lipila (26) of Libulu in Livingstone crossed into Victoria Falls on November 22 through an undesignated entry point and proceeded to Lookout Cafe near the gorges where he stole two chairs, six roofing sheets, five rolls of wire and five litres of used oil.

The property belonged to the restaurant where construction work was underway.

Lipila pleaded not guilty to theft and guilty to illegally entering the country when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje.

He told the court that he did not steal the property but found it in the bush when he went to relieve himself.

“I was having a running stomach and decided to go into the bush to relieve myself. That is when I saw some wire rolls which I didn’t take. I then saw two chairs and decided to take them. As I was carrying the chairs, I met some people who asked me to sell them the chairs,” said Lipila.

He said a spirit possessed him and ordered him to take the chairs.

Lipila was convicted and remanded in custody and will know his fate today when the magistrate sentences him. 

For the State, Mr Onias Nyathi said the property belonged to Wild Horizons which runs the restaurant.

The court was told that Lipila was arrested after two Wild Horizons employees who saw him carrying the chairs tricked him into following them to their workplace after pretending they wanted to buy the property.

The two had identified the chairs as their employer’s which had been stolen.

A report was made to the police leading to Lipila’s arrest. — @nomvelosiziba