Crimes and Courts Correspondent
Bongani Matshazi, a 51-year-old man, has been sentenced to six months in prison for stealing a whopping US$7,259 and R10,000 from his employer, Zimsend Pvt Ltd.
The twist? He used the funds for a spiritual cleansing ritual.
Magistrate Mrs. Evia Matura initially handed down a 30-month prison sentence but suspended 24 months – 12 months conditional on good behavior and 12 months pending restitution of the stolen amount. As of now, only US$530 has been recovered, leaving Matshazi with a substantial debt to repay.
“The degree of moral blameworthiness was high, and the offender deserves a custodial sentence,” Mrs. Matura emphasized, highlighting the severity of theft from an employer as a significant breach of trust.
But that’s not all – Matshazi tried to cover his tracks by reporting a fictitious robbery to the company’s operations manager and filing a police report at Figtree Police Station. However, investigations revealed his account was fabricated.
In a bizarre defense, Matshazi claimed he gave the money to a traditional healer during the cleansing ceremony, only to find it had mysteriously turned into papers and old bond notes when he tried to retrieve it.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen spiritual leaders and rituals making headlines for the wrong reasons. Remember Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, who was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering?
Case Details:
- Stolen Amount: US$7,259 and R10,000
- Purpose: Spiritual cleansing ritual
- Sentence: 6 months in prison
- Recovered Amount: US$530
It’s a sobering reminder to approach spiritual practices with caution and integrity.
Zim GBC News©2024