US$75 laundry line thief nabbed

A YOUTH from Chitungwiza who was in the habit of stealing clothes from other residents’ laundry lines “for sale to fend for his blind father” last week appeared in court charged with theft.

Christopher Mulauzi (22) of 1990 St Marys pleaded guilty before Chitungwiza Magistrate Mrs Yeukai Chigodora to theft as defined in Section 113(1)(a)(b) of the Criminal law Codification and Reform Act (Chapter 9:23).

He was accused of snatching blankets, clothes and sports shoes from washing lines for resale to second-hand goods traders.

Representing the State, Mr Farai Katonha told the court that, “On the 7th of July, 2017, Vellar Zambuko had put her clothes on the washing line for drying after doing laundry. She then went outside at around 1830 hours in a bid to collect the clothes and realised that a two-in-one blanket, a baby blanket and her husband’s pair of sports shoes had been stolen.

“On the 10th of July, 2017, Zambuko was at Huruyadzo Shopping Centre, St Mary’s when she met one Joseph Maunganidze wearing her husband’s stolen shoes. She managed to identify them and confronted Maunganidze who then told her he had bought the shoes from one Memory Ruya who is a second-hand clothes dealer.

“The pair then proceeded to Ruya’s flea market (stall) where she also found a pair of blue jean trousers which belonged to her landlady and a white T-shirt belonging to a tenant mate stolen on the same day with her blankets. Ruya said she had bought the clothes from Mulauzi, leading to his arrest.”

The stolen property was worth US$75 and only a pair of shoes valued at US$5 was recovered.

Mulauzi is set to undergo psychiatric evaluation before the magistrate determines his fate.