A HARARE MAN appeared in court recently for allegedly stealing and selling his wife’s car after she left it at a service station for safekeeping before her trip to Beitbridge.
The State alleges that sometime in November last year, Everjoice Makombe parked her car at a service station opposite to a tobacco auction floor in Harare and locked the doors before asking the security guard to keep an eye on her car.
The following day around 10am, Honest Mutsimu, in the absence of the security guard, allegedly used duplicate keys to unlock and drive the car away.
This was reportedly witnessed by a fuel attendant.
The following day Makombe returned from Beitbridge only to find her vehicle missing.
After enquiring with the staff at the service station, Makombe was told that a man they did not know took and drove the car away.
Makombe allegedly went home and narrated her ordeal to her husband who is reported to have sympathised with her and even escorted her to report the matter to the police station.
The following month in December, the police were allegedly alerted of a man driving a stolen vehicle and they reacted swiftly and queried the man.
He claimed that he bought the car from Makombe’s husband and went on to provide the agreement of sale as well as a duplicate vehicle registration book he had been given by the accused.
Makombe positively identified her car and her husband was arrested in Mt Darwin at a Johane Masowe shrine.
Mutsimu appeared before magistrate Yeukai Dzuda and was granted $40 000 bail.
by
Dionne Kanyowa
STAFF WRITER