Vehicle thief caged for 5 years

Zim Now Writer

Beitbridge regional Magistrate Innocent Bepura has sentenced a 23-year-old car thief to five years in jail.

Bellermine Tadiwanashe Machokoto, of House Number 36 Silver City in Chivi was convicted and sentenced for stealing Petros Albert Mhike’s Nissan Caravan on March 9, 2023.

The Nissan Caravan vehicle is valued at US$8 000 while the luggage that was in the vehicle was worth ZWL$166 430.

Prosecutor, Tsitsi Mutukwa, said that Mhike gave Machokoto, who was in the company of Talent Dube, a free ride from Mhandamabwe to Beitbridge.

Mhike of Maglas in Zvishavane and Dube were travelling from Zvishavane to meet Mhike’s brother, Herbert in South Africa.

Upon arrival in Beitbridge, Machokoto left the two after Mhike realised that he had left the vehicle’s registration book and could not cross into South Africa with the car.

Mhike and Dube then parked the vehicle and crossed into South Africa.

Machokoto returned to the vehicle and opened passenger door. He then found a spare key in a pocket behind the driver’s seat and drove the vehicle away.

Mhike, Herbert and Dube returned to Zimbabwe around 2pm and found the car missing and immediately reported the matter to the police.

Machokoto was arrested at a roadblock near Gwanda and the vehicle valued at US$8 000 and luggage worth ZWL$166 430 were recovered.