Witness Sibanda stole household items from two guest houses and ended up serving community service. The 24-year-old man from Entumbane took towels, bed covers, light bulbs and a solar panel worth 480 American dollars. He checked into Harris Lodges like a regular customer and planned his theft carefully. Security guards caught him trying to leave with the stolen goods. A local watch group helped arrest Sibanda before police took him away.
Byron Rice owns the lodges where the crimes happened last week. Armed detectives brought Sibanda to court after finding all the missing items. The thief admitted his guilt when he faced Magistrate Eva Matura. He told the judge about his young child and said he needed the items for personal use. The court rejected his appeal for mercy despite his family situation.
Magistrate Matura gave Sibanda a full year behind bars for his crimes. She suspended three months of the sentence for five years as a warning. The remaining nine months became 315 hours of work at Siyazama Primary School. Sibanda must complete his community service instead of sitting in prison. The stolen goods returned to their rightful owner after the arrest.
Byron Rice owns the lodges where the crimes happened last week. Armed detectives brought Sibanda to court after finding all the missing items. The thief admitted his guilt when he faced Magistrate Eva Matura. He told the judge about his young child and said he needed the items for personal use. The court rejected his appeal for mercy despite his family situation.
Magistrate Matura gave Sibanda a full year behind bars for his crimes. She suspended three months of the sentence for five years as a warning. The remaining nine months became 315 hours of work at Siyazama Primary School. Sibanda must complete his community service instead of sitting in prison. The stolen goods returned to their rightful owner after the arrest.
