Ex-convicts steal 13 motorcycles

Two ‘unrepentant’ criminals, who once served up to 12 years behind bars for theft, were yesterday back in court facing fresh charges of theft after they allegedly stole 13 motorcycles valued at $25 000.

Simbarashe Masodzi (34) and Washington Mudzingwa (28) pleaded guilty to eight out of 13 counts.

Masodzi was convicted of stealing motor cycles in 2006 and was sentenced to 29 years in prison.

He only spent 10 years behind bars before he was freed under the Presidential Amnesty last year.

Mudzingwa in 2008 was convicted of stocktheft and was sent to prison for 12 years.

The duo yesterday appeared before Ms Barbra Chimboza who remanded them in custody to June 29 pending trial.

They allegedly led the police to the recovery of some motorcycles.

Of the eight counts they pleaded guilty to, Masodzi and Mudzingwa will be sentenced next week.

It is the State’s case that on January 30 around 1pm, Samson Nyamapfeka who is employed by Bhola hardware as a messenger, parked his motor cycle along Kenneth Kaunda Street.

He went inside a building and the accused persons then cut the ignition cable, removed number plates and sold it to Nesbert Tiriboyi.

On May 5, Edmore Saungweme who is employed by Schweppes Zimbabwe as a salesman, parked his motor cycle along Harare Street where it was later stolen by the pair.

They allegedly removed the number plates and replaced them with fake ones and sold it to Frank Zhezhenge.

On June 1, Masodzi and Mudzingwa stole another motor cycle at Agribank, which they later sold to Alice Nyanhanga after removing the registration plates.

Paynet Zimbabwe also lost its motorcycle to the accused persons after their driver, Chrispen Kumira had parked it along First Street.

They also sold it to Nyanhanga, the court heard.

The court further heard that another security guard also lost his motor cycle to the two.

The motorcycle was later recovered in Domboshava. Using the same methods, the duo stole six more cycles which they later sold to two Mozambicans only identified as Dimingo and Eduardo. The Herald