ZRP Officer steals lost and found goats in Beitbridge… Sentenced two-and-a-half Years

A wayward constable based at Zezani Police Station in the border town of Beitbridge was slapped with a 30-month jail sentence after he was found guilty of stealing six lost and found goats under the care of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

Appearing before Beitbridge magistrate Toendepi Zhou yesterday, Constable Edzai Makuve had 12 months to his sentence conditionally suspended, with a further six months suspended in the event that he pays R2 400 to the state before 14 August, 2020.

He will now serve an effective 12 months behind bars.

The court heard that Makuve slaughtered and shared the six lost and found goats that were under police watch, but he, in turn, contends that he did that with the blessings of his boss, a one Inspector Marisa.

However, in a dramatic twist of events, Makuve was surprised when he was arrested, with his boss becoming a state witness in the subsequent trial.

Yet, Makuve contends that it was Inspector Marisa who sent him to slaughter the lost-and-found stock before sharing the meat.

He sensationally revealed that the information was recorded in an occurrence book which dramatically disappeared following commencement of theft case investigations.

Makuve, who has a similar pending case, was convicted owing to overwhelming evidence on the part of the state.

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Additional Reporting: Zwnews