A security guard at Choppies supermarket at Bulawayo’s Entumbane complex has been fined $100 for conniving with a customer to steal from his employer.

Tafirei Zhou (42) and his accomplice, Dalubuhle Tshuma (37) pleaded guilty to a theft charge before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Lungile Ncube.

 Mr Ncube fined each of them $100 and each will spend 90 days in jail in case of default.
Prosecuting, Mr Shadreck Kadango said Tshuma stole 40kg of sugar after Zhou, whose job is to check receipts at the supermarket’s exit, supplied him with a fake receipt.

“On July 30 at around 11AM, at Choppies Sai Mart Entumbane, the first accused (Zhou), who was on duty that day, ordered second accused (Tshuma) to take 20 x 2kg brown Huletts sugar using a fake receipt,” said Mr Kadango.

 Asked why he committed the crime by the magistrate, Zhou said he wanted to sell the sugar to pay fees for his children.

“I was desperate your Worship. I needed to pay fees for my children, but I could not steal the sugar myself so I had to ask Dalubuhle to help me,” said Zhou.

Zhou and Tshuma pleaded to be ordered to pay a fine for the crime saying they were breadwinners and their families would suffer if they are jailed.

In a statement presented in court, Mr Talent Rimaunga, the branch manager, said he got suspicious when he saw Tshuma and Zhou talking.
He said he then decided to monitor Tshuma’s movements.

“I followed Tshuma as he went out and asked for a receipt for the sugar but he produced a receipt for a drink and a pie. I went with him back to the shop where he confessed to have been given the receipt by Tafirei Zhou, our security guard,” said Mr Rimaunga.
Mr Kadango said the sugar, valued at $35,60, was recovered.

Mr Joshua Chita, an employee at Choppies, said he saw Tshuma taking the sugar from a shelf but he did not pay for it.

Mr Kadango said Zhou and Tshuma were taken to Entumbane police station. – state media