A 37-year-old Mkoba 13 resident, Patrick Mutigwa, has been sentenced to an effective 12 years in prison by the Gweru Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of stock theft.
The offence occurred on April 8, 2025, when Mutigwa, acting in connivance with five accomplices who are still at large, stole livestock from Plots 21 and 30 in Senale, on the outskirts of Gweru.
The group made off with three beasts — one brown cow belonging to the first complainant and two black oxen belonging to a second complainant.
The stolen animals were driven to a bushy area near Anderson High School, where they were slaughtered.
Police investigations led to Mutigwa’s arrest exactly a month later, on May 10, 2025.
He was apprehended at a local butchery in Gweru while offloading meat suspected to be from the stolen cattle.
During the arrest, detectives recovered a beef carcass weighing 283.36kg.
The live animals were not recovered.
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Mutigwa was convicted on two counts of stock theft. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on the first count and 14 years on the second count.
Part of the sentence was suspended on condition that restitution is made to the complainants. The sentences will run concurrently, leaving him with an effective 12-year custodial term.
