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By Elvis Dumba
Banket – Former Minister of Mines and Mining Development Walter Chidakwa was at Banket Magistrate Courts over a stock theft case.
Chidakwa (47) was a complainant in a case where his Australian-based brother Augustine Chihuri (49) lost ten cattle on different occasions to his farm manager at his Nyabira Farm.
John Issa and his accomplice Tendai Mandeya of Joker Farm, Nyabira were arraigned before Banket Magistrate, Tinashe Ndokera for stock theft.
The case was unearthed by Chidakwa who supervises operations at Joker Farm, Nyabira which is owned by Chihuri.
Chidakwa, according to court papers, noticed the missing cattle after an audit on the stock on 13 June 2022 and investigations revealed that on various dates, the accused sold cattle to Tanaka Murewa of 1145 Snake Park in Harare.
Investigations revealed the stolen cattle were cleared for sale by Norton Police.
The accused worked at the farm with Mandeya working as the Farm Manager
Mandeya, who pleaded guilty to the offence, claimed he sold the cattle to raise money to treat the herd which had been affected by January’s Disease.
Mandeya claimed that he only used US$60 from the sale of the ten cows and said he hid the rest of the money in a plastic pipe which he could no longer locate.
Magistrate Ndokera sentenced Mandeya to effective 27 years whilst Issa was remanded in custody to 7 July 2022 after he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The stolen cattle were valued at US$6000 and nothing was recovered.