10 Feb 2014

Principal Magistrate Jennifer Chikate will, February 11, sentence two of the six accused persons who are facing charges of theft and vandalism.

The two had pleaded guilty to charges of vandalising and stealing cables and other electrical goods from the new Francistown Stadium in September last year. The stolen items were valued at over P400 000.

Nxobizitha Ncube (23) and Bhekinkosi Ncube (27) are each facing charges of vandalism and theft of goods valued at P14 869.60 and P7 434.80 respectively.

When giving evidence for the state, Ms Gloria Gaosekiwe, who is employed as a senior electrical engineer in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology (MIST), told the court that two lighting masts at the new stadium were vandalised while copper wires and other electrical goods were stolen.

She said government wanted to be compensated for the damage and reimbursed for the stolen goods because even the wires that were recovered from the accused persons could not be re-used. Ms Gaosekiwe said the remaining copper wires in the masts would also have to be replaced.

Nxobizitha submitted a written mitigation statement indicating that there was no way he could raise enough funds to compensate government as he was in prison.

Bhekinkosi, who submitted a verbal mitigation statement, said he cannot compensate government as he was arrested before he collected owed monies from the people whom he sold the stolen items. He pleaded with the court to be lenient with him as he had a child that he was taking care of in Zimbabwe.

For his part, State Counsel Mothusi Dintwa asked the court to consider the amount of damage inflicted by the accused and how their actions have denied the people of Francistown an opportunity to use the stadium.

He said the court should also bear in mind that government would not benefit anything from the recovered goods as they cannot be re-used.

Mr Dintwa also told the court that the prosecution intends to use the two accused as accomplice witnesses after they have been sentenced.

During a previous mention, Mr Dintwa revealed that only 90kg of the stolen copper wire was recovered from the duo with its insulation removed. “Fifty kg was recovered from Nxobizitha while 40kg was recovered from Bhenkinkosi.

The estimated price of the wire at the time was P20 per kg,” he said. The other accused persons in the matter are Mmusi Kelapile (28), Mothusi Lesole (38) and Fetogang Mathunya (31), who are out on bail.

Another accused, Petrus Moyo (26) is in custody with the Ncube’s. ENDS