Masvingo-A thieving student from the Masvingo Polytechnic College has been jailed 11 years for breaking into his lecturer’s house and stealing money, a laptop, camera and a phone.
Masvingo magistrate Makamera Waini sentenced Ronald Muchekeza (26), a student of Environmental Health to 13 years, but suspended two on condition of good behavior.
Appearing for the State, Frank Chirairo told the court that Muchekeza, who was resident at the college campus, broke into a female lecturer, Shumirai Nyota’s house at around 9.30pm on October 26 and stole a laptop, a digital camera, a nokia phone, $180 cash, among other valuables.
Earlier on, the student had broken a window to the lecturer’s house at around 7.30pm, but ran away after he was spotted by one Kudakwashe Chive, before returning a few minutes later to steal the goods when the lecturer had gone to inform security guards manning the college about the broken window.
The goods were valued at $1 000. Only $20 was recovered when Muchekeza was arrested drinking beer at a popular bar in town. On another two counts on October 21 this year, Muchekeza, stole a Nokia N70 phone from a fellow student, Nyaradzai Dube, at the college hostels.
He was caught red-handed at around 1am while in Dube’s room, holding her phone. Dube, who had not locked her door, asked what he was doing in her room at that hour and why he was holding her phone, but Muchekeza ran away with the phone, valued at $200.
A police report was made at Rujeko police station leading to his arrest. In mitigation, Muchekeza said he was drunk and did not know what he was doing. He also said he wanted to get money for his upkeep as life at college was tough.
In passing sentence, the magistrate said what the student had done was not expected from an individual seeking education.
