Mutasa – A bizarre incident involving the alleged theft of a woman’s g-string panties has ignited a scandal in Mutasa District, leaving residents baffled and the local community court grappling with an unusual case.
The incident centres around Taremekedzwa Kuodza, who accused his neighbours, Robert Mtetwa and Phillip Dumbura, of conspiring to steal his wife’s undergarments.
The alleged theft occurred under the cover of darkness on the night of 8 November. Kuodza, returning home to find his door ajar and a bag out of place, discovered the next morning that his wife’s panties, bras, and petticoats were missing. Adding to the mystery, some of the stolen items were later returned by Mtetwa, who claimed to have simply found them. This seemingly simple explanation, however, failed to satisfy Kuodza, who feared the undergarments might be used in witchcraft against his family. This prompted him to seek justice through Chief Mutasa’s community court.
Kuodza detailed the events before the court: “The incident occurred during the night of November 8. I had returned home a few hours, having locked the door with my wife and child asleep inside. When I returned home, I was surprised to find the door open and a bag in the kitchen that I had left in the bedroom. The next morning, we discovered that my wife’s undergarments were missing. The following day, my wife informed me that Mtetwa had returned some of the stolen clothes, claiming he had picked them. However, when we questioned him about the location and how he knew the clothes belonged to my wife, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation,” he said.
Mtetwa’s initial confession to the court added another layer of complexity to the case. He admitted to stealing the items, claiming he acted on the instructions of his friend, Phillip Dumbura, to whom he allegedly passed the stolen goods. However, this confession was short-lived. During the court proceedings, Mtetwa dramatically reversed his statement, pleading innocence.
Mtetwa’s explanation for his initial confession was that he had been coerced under duress. He revealed a previous conviction for theft, for which he served a prison sentence, but insisted his confession in this case was false. He claimed that Kuodza and others had threatened him, leaving him with no choice but to confess and implicate Dumbura.
“I have already served jail time for this matter, but the truth is, I did not do anything wrong. When Kuodza and the others confronted me, they threatened me, and I felt I had no choice, but to confess. I did not know where the stolen items were, so I lied and said I had given them to Dumbura because I panicked under pressure. As for the clothes I returned to Kuodza’s wife, I had picked them up on a path near their home. I knew they belonged to them because of a hat that was in the bag, which Kuodza always wears. I thought I was doing the right thing by returning them, but somehow, I became the bad guy in the story,” he explained.
Dumbura, vehemently denying any involvement, expressed his bewilderment at being implicated. He clarified his relationship with Mtetwa, stating that they were merely acquaintances, not friends, and insisted he was not in the area at the time of the alleged crime.
“I do not understand how my name ended up being dragged into this. Mtetwa and I are not friends, we just know each other. I was not even in the area when the crime was committed. I was shocked when the police came to arrest me, accusing me of stealing the undergarments. However, the police later released me, but Mtetwa proceeded to court where he was convicted and served time behind bars,” he stated.
The unusual nature of the case and the conflicting testimonies left Chief Mutasa with a complex decision. Ultimately, the chief instructed Headman Medzani to assist in resolving the matter, leaving the community awaiting a resolution to this perplexing and highly unusual case.
