A 24-year-old man from Entumbane, Witness Sibanda, has been sentenced for stealing household items, including towels, bed sheets, light bulbs, and a solar panel, from two Harris Lodges in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
The total value of the stolen items was estimated at US$480.
According to reports, Sibanda checked into the lodges as a regular guest but attempted to flee with the stolen goods, which also included a cup and a plate.
His escape was thwarted by alert lodge security personnel, who were supported by the local neighbourhood watch committee. Armed detectives later arrested him, and all stolen items were successfully recovered.
Sibanda appeared before Magistrate Eva Matura and pleaded guilty to the charges.
In a plea for leniency, he told the court that he was unmarried but had a six-year-old child and claimed he stole the items for personal use.
However, the court was not swayed by his appeal. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with three months suspended for five years.
The remaining nine months were converted into 315 hours of community service at Siyazama Primary School.