(Last Updated on December 17, 2021 by zimdaily)
BEITBRIDGE – Former Shabani Mine and Orlando Pirates defender Zvenyika Makonese has been fined R3 000 for stealing a police officer’s G-tel A718 cellphone valued at US$468.
Makonese, a former Warriors defender, is now employed as an assistant bus conductor by K&M buses.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft when he appeared before resident magistrate Gloria Takundwa but was on Thursday convicted on the strength of overwhelming evidence.
The magistrate slapped Makonese with one-month imprisonment with an option of a fine.
The complainant in the case, Melody Masiya, had asked one of the bus crews at the Beitbridge border post to recharge her phone using the bus phone charger.
Prosecutor, Jabulani Mberesi alleged that on an unknown date but in August this year, the police officer, who was at Beitbridge Border Post, asked Farai Chinyani, a driver at Ngonweni bus services, to recharge her phone using the bus phone charger.
Mberesi further told the court that Makonese entered the bus while the driver was fast asleep and stole the complainant’s phone.
He allegedly gave the cellphone to one Calisto Tobaiwa in Zvishavane who sold it on his behalf.
When the police officer went to the bus driver intending to collect her phone, the phone was nowhere to be found prompting her to report the case to the police.
Makonese was arrested following thorough investigations that linked him to the missing cellphone.
The G-tel A718 phone was never recovered.