A Harare man, Tinashe Mundenda, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing telecommunications cables valued at just US$40 from TelOne.

The sentencing took place in a Harare courtroom where Magistrate Letwin Rwodzi handed down the harsh judgment. Mundenda, visibly overwhelmed by the ruling, fainted immediately after the sentence was pronounced. Prison officers quickly administered first aid and escorted him out of the courtroom.

The case highlights the judiciary’s strict stance on theft, even when the stolen property is of relatively low value.

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