A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to an effective 12 months in prison by the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of
Godfrey Musa Ndlovu was found guilty of theft of a motor vehicle following an incident that occurred at Chemagamba Police Camp on December 7, 2025.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the theft took place at approximately 05:00 hours. A police officer, who was preparing to travel to Mutoko in a silver Kia Rio police vehicle, had agreed to transport Ndlovu into Chinhoyi town at the request of the offender, identified as a relative of the officer’s neighbour.
The court heard that the officer allowed Ndlovu to load his belongings into the vehicle. Before departure, the officer briefly returned to his residence to retrieve a cellphone, leaving the vehicle keys inside a jacket on the car seat. Ndlovu utilised this opportunity to retrieve the keys and drive the vehicle away at high speed.
Acting on a tip-off, police later apprehended Ndlovu near Thrills Service Station while he was traveling in an unregistered taxi (mushikashika). Following his arrest, Ndlovu led officers to Ruvimbo Phase 2 in Chinhoyi, where the stolen vehicle was recovered.
The vehicle, valued at US$6,000, was recovered with its registration plates removed, the third plate altered, the police radio disconnected, and the communication aerial damaged. Authorities noted that the missing registration plates, valued at US$650, have not been recovered.
Ndlovu was sentenced to a total of 30 months imprisonment. The magistrate suspended 18 months of the sentence on the condition of good behaviour, leaving Ndlovu to serve an effective custodial term of 12 months. zvakaoma vanhu vashata manje kuba police car
