A Bulawayo man has been sentenced to an effective four years in prison for stealing a Toyota Vitz valued at US$7 000 after breaking into a house and using stolen keys to drive away the vehicle.
In a statement yesterday, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said 30-year-old Brendon Ndlovu of Hillside was convicted and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court for theft of a motor vehicle.
“The Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court has convicted and sentenced 30-year-old Brendon Ndlovu of Hillside in Bulawayo, to six years’ imprisonment for theft of a motor vehicle.
The Court suspended two years for five years, leaving Ndlovu to serve an effective four years in jail,” the NPAZ added.
The NPAZ said the offence occurred on June 29, 2026, when the 53-year-old complainant, Pragji Darren Ghiren, parked his Toyota Vitz at House Number 20 Matopos Road, Famona, Bulawayo, at around 3pm.
“He closed all windows, locked all doors, and left the car keys in the custody of his mother, Shanti Pragji,” the authority said.
Ndlovu and his accomplice, Brain Mapfumo, who remains at large, allegedly plotted to steal the vehicle before gaining entry into the property.
“On the same day, Ndlovu and his accomplice, Brain Mapfumo, who is still at large, hatched a plan to steal the complainant’s motor vehicle,” the NPAZ said.
“The two jumped the perimeter fence, broke open the kitchen door by unknown means, and stole the house and car keys, which they used to start the vehicle and drive away.”
Ndlovu was arrested on September 3 while allegedly attempting to sell the stolen vehicle to car breakers in Kelvin, Bulawayo.
“Ndlovu was arrested on the 3rd of September 2026 while trying to sell the vehicle to car breakers in Kelvin, Bulawayo. The stolen vehicle was valued at US$7 000-00 and was recovered intact,” the NPAZ said.
The NPAZ warned members of the public against turning to theft as a means of making money, saying offenders would face prosecution.
“The NPAZ warns members of the public against resorting to theft as a means of obtaining money. It is a serious criminal offence, and all perpetrators of theft and other criminal acts will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” NPAZ added.
Motor vehicle theft remains a criminal offence under Zimbabwean law, with offenders facing prosecution where evidence establishes their involvement in the unlawful taking or conversion of vehicles.
The recovery of the Toyota Vitz intact enabled the vehicle to be returned following the prosecution of Ndlovu, while police efforts to locate his alleged accomplice, Mapfumo, remain ongoing.
