The usually solemn atmosphere of a Plumtree courtroom was disrupted by a burst of laughter when a man charged with breaking into a boutique and stealing items including ladies’ underwear confessed to the crime and claimed he did it to please his wife whose ‘stonyeni’ was now exposed as she no longer had any underwear to wear.
Pascal Moyo (27), from Sibomvu Village, Bhagani area under Chief Mpini in Plumtree, Matabeleland South Province, pleaded guilty to the charges, explaining to the court his unusual motivation. “Your Worship, it’s true, I stole the items including the underwear. My wife had been asking me to buy her new ones for weeks, saying she no longer had any. So, when I saw the opportunity, I just took it,” said Moyo, his words eliciting chuckles from the courtroom, even prompting presiding magistrate Joshua Nembaware to struggle to maintain a straight face, B-Metro reported.
The court heard that Moyo’s wife had been requesting new undergarments for weeks, and desperate to fulfil her wish, he resorted to the unorthodox method of theft. While the circumstances surrounding the theft may have brought a smile to the faces of those present, Moyo’s actions were no laughing matter.
It emerged that Moyo was a repeat offender, having been convicted of a similar crime in September last year. This time around, he faced three counts of unlawful entry and theft, with the charges being merged into one for sentencing purposes.
The court sentenced Moyo to 30 months imprisonment. Six months of this sentence were suspended for a period of five years on condition that he does not commit any offence involving dishonesty or unlawful entry during that period. A further six months were suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainants the sum of US$163,5 via the clerk of court at Plumtree by December 31, 2024.
Adding to his sentence, the five months previously suspended on his previous conviction were brought into effect, resulting in an effective term of 24 months imprisonment.
The State’s case, presented by Selestine Madziwa, detailed how Moyo broke into Simenyeni Ncube’s (37) shop situated at Bhagani Business Centre on 6 July 2024, stealing a lady’s panties, a pair of trousers, a 500ml camphor cream, a Dettol soap, and a black handbag.
Ncube discovered the theft the following day and reported it to the police. Investigations led to Moyo’s arrest, and the recovery of the camphor cream and a pair of trousers. The stolen property was valued at US$53, but only those valued at US$25 were recovered.
The court also heard that Moyo’s criminal activities extended beyond the boutique. On April 26, 2022, he gained entry into his mother Banabet Dube’s bedroom using duplicate keys. Armed with an iron bar, he broke the cash box mounted on the wall and stole R2 500 before fleeing.
On July 29, Moyo, seemingly on a stealing spree, once again broke into his mother’s house and stole 12,5kg of mealie-meal, 1kg of soya chunks, and one litre of cooking oil. His mother discovered the offence and reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
The court further heard that Moyo’s audacity knew no bounds. He went to Siphosenkosi Moyo’s property and cut the fence, using a scotch cart to ferry 2 500 farm bricks, which he then sold. This incident was also reported to the police, resulting in his arrest.
