A daring Bulawayo man who broke into a tuck-shop operating at Tshabalala Police Station and stole cash and groceries has been jailed for an effective 12 months.
Brighton Ncube, 21, of Nkulumane suburb, was convicted of unlawful entry by Western Commonage magistrate Prince Jeconia Ncube after the court heard how he forced open a window at the Zimbabwe Republic Police tuck-shop shortly after midnight.
Ncube was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Three months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period, leaving him with 12 months to serve behind bars.
The break-in happened on August 29, when the young man targeted the small shop inside the police station premises. Although the business sold ordinary groceries, drinks, bread and airtime, it was located at a place where police officers and members of the public would expect security to be tight.
Prosecutor Catherine Kuzu told the court that Ncube forced open a window before entering the tuck-shop. He then took US$41 in cash and a large assortment of goods with a combined value of US$270.
“Upon entering the shop, the accused took US$41 in cash, Buddie airtime, NetOne airtime, yoghurts, Mojo drink, Shumba mahewu, bread, Dairy Burst drink, Kombucha Lite, Coca-Cola Pet, Fanta drink, matches, rock buns, cigarettes and bread plastics worth US$270,” said Ms Kuzu.
The raid did not last long. An alert police officer who was manning the premises spotted Ncube before he could get away. He was apprehended at the station and the stolen cash and merchandise were recovered, leading to his arrest.
The incident has drawn attention because of the unusual location of the break-in. Police stations are places where members of the public report crime, seek help and expect protection. In this case, the station itself became the scene of a night-time theft, with the offender targeting a shop within the police compound.
The case also follows a number of incidents in Zimbabwe in which police stations, police stores and property held by law-enforcement agencies have been targeted. In some cases, the alleged offenders were outsiders. In others, police officers themselves were accused of abusing access to secured premises or evidence rooms.
In August 2023, three Harare police officers were brought before the courts over an alleged break-in at the stores section of Harare Central Police Station. Stanley Musekiwa, Takaidza Mugwisi and Masimba Stanely Gwasunda were accused of taking money held as an exhibit before setting the room alight.
The case centred on cash that had been recovered during investigations. The State alleged that Mugwisi had recovered US$40,500 from a man arrested in connection with an unlawful-entry and theft case in Belvedere, Harare. A further US$5,000 recovered in other cases was also said to have been placed in police custody.
The three officers were accused of taking advantage of darkness caused by an electrical fault at the station. Investigators said they staged a break-in at office 26, cut padlock keys with a bolt cutter and used keys to enter the room. The cash was allegedly removed from a bag kept inside a four-plate stove oven drawer before the room was set on fire.
The fire destroyed a range of other items, including stoves, a fridge, a bed, clothing, crates of beer, mobile phones, televisions, radios and gas tanks. The building also suffered extensive structural damage. The officers faced theft and malicious damage to property charges. The trio was remanded in custody, applied for bail, and was later granted bail. By early 2024, reports indicated that aspects of the case against the officers began collapsing due to a lack of evidence.
Chimbumu was said to have gone on the run before his arrest. Four alleged accomplices — Since Asima, 38, Perseverance Chisango, 32, Weston Muzoriwa, 37, and Fredrick Moyo, 33 — were released on US$300 bail in the same matter. The case highlighted the risks surrounding cash recovered during criminal investigations and the importance of keeping exhibits secure from the moment they are seized.
Proving how he stayed on the force, Chimbumu and four accomplices were arrested for a different US$15,000 extortion case involving fake rape charges. However, in October 2024, Harare Magistrate Donald Ndirowei acquitted them due to a weak, circumstantial State case. This legal victory cleared him of that specific crime, helping him maintain his uniform.
In fact, Prosper Chimbumu has faced multiple court appearances and allegations to do with money. Chimbumu, now 35, and is said to be stationed at Borrowdale Police Station, appeared before Harare magistrate Jessie Kufa along with Paradzai Matubu (34) of Mukumbura Police Station in June this year. They faced charges of criminal abuse of duty as public officers after allegedly intercepting a Chinese businessman and his associates along Teign Road in Borrowdale and demanding money in exchange for his release.
Meanwhile, the Tshabalala case was different in scale but striking because of the directness of the attack. Ncube did not target an abandoned building or an isolated business. He entered a tuck-shop at a police station after midnight, took goods that included everyday food and drinks, and tried to leave with the cash and merchandise.
His attempt was stopped by the officer on duty, who noticed him before he could escape. The recovery of the stolen goods also meant that the court heard the full list of items taken during the brief raid, from airtime and cigarettes to yoghurt, bread, soft drinks and matches.
The effective 12-month sentence brings the case to a close for Ncube, while the suspended portion of the sentence remains hanging over him for five years. If he commits a similar offence during that period, ostensibly through breaking-in at the prison tuckshop, the three suspended months may be activated in addition to any punishment imposed for the new offence.