A 28-year-old Mufakose man has been sentenced to an effective four years in prison after stealing a Vauxhall Combo from a motorist who briefly left the vehicle running with the keys in the ignition.
Innocent Matete was convicted by the Harare Magistrates' Court of motor vehicle theft. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with one year suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, leaving an effective four-year jail term.
The court heard that on June 8, 2026, the complainant had briefly stepped out of his vehicle along Mupani Avenue in Mufakose, leaving the engine running.
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Prosecutors said Matete, acting with two accomplices who are still at large, got into the vehicle and drove away. A Samsung Galaxy cellphone and a power bank were also inside the vehicle.
The complainant immediately raised the alarm, alerted a security guard, contacted a friend and circulated details of the theft through community WhatsApp groups.
The stolen vehicle was later spotted in Harare's central business district. When the complainant signaled for it to stop on Kambuzuma Road, Matete sped off, triggering a chase that ended on Highglen Road near the Mukonono turn-off after he lost control and crashed.
Matete tried to escape on foot but was apprehended by the complainant and his friend before detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad arrived to arrest him.
Police recovered the vehicle, valued at US$8,000, as well as its rear number plate, which had been removed and hidden beneath the driver's seat. The total value of the stolen property was US$8,510, with property worth US$8,000 recovered.
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