A Chinese construction company recently lost cement worth $1 000 to employees who went on to sell the commodity to locals, a Lupane magistrate heard on Thursday.
Stephen Nyakasvipa (30) and Lusyomo Mutale (23), both employed at the Zimbabwe Jiangsu Construction Company (ZJCC), Jabulani Jamiti (21) and Tawanda Munyanyi (30), who work for a local organisation which was not named in court papers, were charged with theft and unlawful entry.
Nyakasvipa and Mutale pleaded guilty when they appeared before Lupane magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba.
They were remanded in custody to Monday for sentence.
Their defence lawyer appealed to the court to give them a lighter sentence saying they did not waste the court’s time as they immediately pleaded guilty.
However, Jamiti and Munyanyi denied the charges and said they only received the cement on behalf of their employer.
The State had to apply for the separation of Jamiti and Munyanyi’s trial after it was discovered that Munyanyi was one of those who bought the cement from Nyakasvipa and Mutale.
Jamiti was remanded out of custody on $50 bail with Munyanyi getting free bail. Their trial continues on December 12.
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The State case is that Nyakasvipa and Mutale were employed by the ZJCC as general workers. The company was contracted by the government to construct offices at Lupane.
The two broke into the company’s storeroom where they stole 74 bags of cement worth $1 000 which they transported at night to Jamiti’s residence from where it was sold.
The matter came to light when the Chinese company checked its stock and discovered the cement was missing .
They made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of Jamiti and Munyanyi, who then revealed the cement was brought to their place by Nyakasvipa and Mutale.
Only cement worth $195 was recovered.
