Man builds 16-roomed house using stolen bricks

By Munyaradzi Musiiwa

In an incident that has left Gweru residents shocked, a 33-year-old man from Daylesford low density suburb built a 16-roomed mansion using bricks stolen from various construction sites in the city.

In a move even movie script writers would salivate over, Tinomuda Shadreck Sibanda of Daylesford low density suburb would allegedly get money from his sister working in South Africa to buy building materials.

However, he would squander the money and then cover up by going around construction sites around Gweru to steal bricks that were used to build the mansion.

The mansion was built in Damafalls low-density suburb adjacent to Daylesford. Sibanda’s lucky, however, ran out last week when he was caught loading a truck with bricks at one house in the same suburb.

Irked residents threatened to beat him up before they handed him to the police. He appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Beaulity Dube last week facing various counts of theft. He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to tomorrow for sentencing.

The State’s case was that sometime during the period extending from last year to last month, Sibanda stole bricks at various construction sites which he used to built a 16-roomed house.

The court heard that Sibanda was later caught red handed loading the stolen bricks into truck at a house in Damafalls. At that time 2 500 bricks were recovered and the vehicle he was using was impounded by the police.

When Sibanda was caught stealing the bricks, some neighbours who had lost bricks went to the mansion where they also managed to positively identify their bricks that had already been used on the walls. Sibanda also admitted that he had also used some stolen bricks to build part of another house in Daylesford.

Ms Gracious Rongai appeared for the State. Sunday News