In a troubling display of recidivism, a 25-year-old man from Hwange, Zimbabwe has been convicted and sentenced on an astonishing 32 counts of aggravated unlawful entry.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, Future Ncube, a resident of Makwika Village in Hwange engaged in a months-long campaign of burglary and theft, systematically targeting the homes of his neighbours in search of valuable cellphones.
The young man’s crime spree began in May 2024, when he broke into a complainant’s home, reaching through a broken window to steal the victim’s Itel P37 mobile device while the owner slept. This initial burglary was just the start, as Ncube went on to break into 31 more houses in the Makwika Village area over the following six months, from December 2023 to May 2024.
The accused was finally apprehended on May 24th, 2024, after police received a tip that he was selling the stolen cellphones at Lubangwe Business Centre in Hwange. Faced with the overwhelming evidence, Ncube pleaded guilty to 30 of the 32 counts against him.
In a stern judgment, the Hwange Magistrates’ Court sentenced the repeat offender to a total of 48 months in prison, with 22 months suspended on the condition that he makes restitution of ZiG33,277 to 17 of his victims by August 31st, 2024. Additionally, a previous 6-month suspended sentence was also brought into effect, meaning Ncube will serve 32 months behind bars.
The Zimbabwean justice system has demonstrated its commitment to holding such offenders accountable and providing some measure of closure and restitution for their victims.
