Masvingo (New Ziana) -A 25 year old man from Masvingo was recently sentenced to perform 70 hours community service after he was convicted of stealing a 20 litre bucket of wall paint worth $500 from his uncle.

Magistrate Conceptor Ngwerume sentenced Rukudzo Tarupiwa, who is a student at the Midlands State University in Gweru, to four months imprisonment but conditionally suspended two months for five years and the remainder on condition he performs 70 hours of unpaid work at Rujeko Primary School.

Allegations were that on March 4 around 11pm and at Exormart Complex, police officers on patrol spotted Tarupiwa selling a 20litre bucket of acrylic PVA white wall paint at a giveaway price.

The police officers became suspicious of the bargain price and arrested Tarupiwa.

Investigations revealed that Tarupiwa had stolen the bucket of paint, valued at $500, from his uncle, Victor Mafuku, who kept it in his room.

Meanwhile, in a separate case at the same court, a man from Uzumba-Maramba Pfungwe in Mashonaland East province, was fined $2 000 for possessing about 7 kg of copper wire bundles worth $800.

Cephas Nyangasi (25) of Chidziva village, chief Chinhanga in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Perseverance Makala, who fined him $2 000 or alternatively four months imprisonment.

The State led by Priscilla Huswa said police officers from Rujeko high density suburb were on patrol at Exormart Complex on March 6 this year when they arrested Nyangasi for public drinking and escorted him to Exor police base.

On arrival at the police base, the officers searched Nyangasi and found two bundles of copper wire in his satchel.

The recovered copper wire was weighed at Zimpost Masvingo and it was 6.967 kg valued at $800.

Heather Mhlanga prosecuted both cases.

New Ziana