TWO Beatrice farmers who connived and stole two cows from a fellow farmer from the same area were last Thursday slapped with a 20-year jail sentence by Chitungwiza magistrate.
VIMBAI MARUFU Own Correspondent
Tatenda Takawira (27) from Nherera Farm, Beatrice and Taitos Mukanga (27) from Thompson Farm, Beatrice will, however, serve an effective 18 years and 6 months each after part of their sentence was set aside on condition that they each paid a $800 restitution.
Presiding Magistrate Musaiona Shotgame heard that on September 11 this year, at around 7pm, the complainant Oscar Mutanga from Muda Farm, Beatrice penned his cattle for the night.
During the dead of the night, Takwaira and Mukanga stole the beasts and drove them to a nearby bush and slaughtered them.
They later hired a car and transported the meat to Thompson Farm for sale.
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The offence only came to light following a tip off from an informer who saw the pair offloading the meat into Mukanga’s house.
Police recovered meat valued at $1 600 when they raided Mukanga’s house.
Both Mukanga and Takawira pleaded guilty to the offence.
Edmund Ndambakuwa prosecuted.