A 22-year-old Mwenezi man paid a cow to his in-laws as part of his lobola obligations but later on returned to steal the same animal, the Mwenezi Magistrate Court recently heard.
Admire Magomana of Village 4 Flora under Chief Maranda was initially facing a charge of stock theft but due to circumstances that influenced his actions, the case was later altered to unauthorised borrowing.
He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to six months behind bars or to perform 350 hours of community service as an alternative.
The State’s case was that sometime early this year; Magomana paid part of his bride price in the form of a cow to his mother-in-law, Nolance Ndambani, who resides in the same village.
It was further heard that on August 3, Magomana went to the grazing lands and drove the cow away. In reclaiming the cow, Magomana insisted that since Ndambani had taken back her daughter, whom he had been married to, he too deserved to get back his property.
A police report was filed leading to Magomana’s arrest.
The value of the beast was put at US$200.
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