Masvingo (New Ziana) – A Masvingo man who was in the habit of returning to steal from lodgings of sex workers he had previously hired was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted on 14 counts of housebreaking and theft.

Athamas Manyoka (49) of Mucheke C was arrested after one of the sex workers identified her clothes which were being worn by two sisters of his former wife.

According to the state, Grace Musundire (21), a sex worker from Mucheke A, saw her clothes which were worn by Svodai Mayati and Alice Mahona who are sisters to Manyoka’s former wife, Dambudzo Mayati (29).

Musundire reported the matter to the police and on being questioned, Dambudzo confessed to having been given the clothes by her former husband, Manyoka during the subsistence of their marriage.

She also revealed Manyoka had also given her other goods including washing baskets, comforters, mobile phones, blankets and buckets.

Knowing that her other mates had missed items similar to the ones Mayati had described, Musundure called them to identify the goods.

At least 13 other women, some of who are sex workers and others their landlords, positively identified their goods.

Masvingo magistrate Perseverance Makala convicted Manyoka on 14 counts of housebreaking and theft and sentenced him to five years in prison.

Manyoka is alleged to have hooked up with each of the sex workers at night, taking them to their homes and lodgings.

He would take each of the women back to the places where he would have picked them up and return to their homes and lodgings as he would have mastered the directions.

Manyoka would steal various properties and in some instances break into the landlords’ apartments which he also ransacked for valuables.

New Ziana