GWANDA A Zimbabwean based in South Africa was arrested for driving without a licence and stealing a policemans cellphone from a car belonging to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID).
This was revealed when Prosper Mpofu (24) appeared before Gwanda magistrate Douglas Zvenyika on Wednesday facing charges of driving without a licence and theft.
He pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to three months in jail and fined $200. If he fails to pay the fine he will spend an extra 15 days in jail. The State, led by Parson Chekeya, told the court on January 9, police and VID officers were conducting a joint operation in Gwanda town.
They stopped Mpofu, who was driving a Nissan Hardbody with South African number plates, at around 7.30pm. The officers demanded Mpofus drivers licence, but he told them he did not have one leading to his arrest.
He was taken to the VID depot where his vehicle is being kept. The court heard Mpofu was later taken to a police station using the VID vehicle where he stole a cellphone worth $60 before hiding it in his pocket.
On arrival at the charge office, the policemen searched him after they discovered the cellphone had disappeared and found the gadget in his pocket.
When asked why he had stolen the cellphone, Mpofu said he saw it lying on a table and picked it up. He said when he tried to switch it on it could not and he thought it was useless.
