Debra Matabvu

A 14-year-old boy from Chitungwiza has been arrested for allegedly committing a spate of burglaries in the town over the past three months.

The Chitungwiza Magistrates Courts were last week told that the alleged habitual burglar (name withheld) started stealing at age seven.

The boy, who stays with his mother in the town, is accused of being behind a spate of robberies between January 19 and March 30, 2015.

“Police records show that the boy used the same modus oparandi to commit offences as he would target houses dotted around Chitungwiza, where the tenant would have left their doors open while carrying out their day to day chores,” reads part of the docket submitted in court.

“He would observe from a distance when a tenant goes out of the house to do minor duties around the house. He would then sneak into the house and steal electrical gadgets and other portables such as cellphones and money.”

According to court documents, the boy’s luck ran out on the March 30 when he entered Dadirai Tavaringa’s house through an unlocked door and stole two nokia cellphones.

“Upon realising that her phones her missing, Ms Tavaringa reported the matter to the police which later requested for the mobile numbers of the complaints’ close friends,” stated the court papers.

“The police then advised the complaint’s friends to advise the police if they receive any new invitations from unknown numbers. One of the complaint’s friend advised the police of an unknown number who was proposing love to her.”

The police then tracked the number to the teenager who admitted to have stolen the phone. The minor awaits sentencing this Friday after the court requested time to consult what punishment suited the minor, who cannot be imprisoned.

 

Courts dilemma over minors

Sunday Mail Reporter

Criminal Courts in Zimbabwe are in quandary on how to sentence minors after the recent ban on corporal punishment on convicted children below 18 years of age by the Supreme Court.

Prosecutors from Harare, Chitungwiza, Mbare and Bindura Magistrates Courts yesterday said the magistrates’ courts were still awaiting confirmation on how to handle such criminal cases.

Previously, minors were given corporal punishment after being convicted of a crime.

Corporal punishment was deemed unconstitutional early this year by Judge Easter Muremba. This was in a review case after a juvenile had been sentenced to receive moderate corporal punishment of three strokes after being convicted of rape.

She ruled that Section 353(1) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act Chapter 907 was invalid in terms of Section 167(3) and Section 175 (1)of the new Constitution.