Zimbabwean Man Faces Jail for Stealing Cars to Visit Girlfriend, Crashes Both
A 19-year-old man from the Tshabalala suburb in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is confronting the possibility of significant jail time after allegedly stealing two vehicles on separate occasions in attempts to visit his girlfriend, with both incidents culminating in crashes. Jurio Junior Nyathi appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Lungile Ncube, facing two counts of motor vehicle theft and two counts of driving without a valid license. He entered a guilty plea to all charges, and sentencing was postponed to today, heightening the legal stakes.
Details of the First Theft and Crash
The court proceedings revealed that on January 18, Nyathi allegedly stole a light blue Honda Fit belonging to teacher Moses Mataruse. The vehicle had been securely parked and locked inside a church yard in Tshabalala while the owner attended a service. Prosecutor Sehliselo Khumalo informed the court that Nyathi utilized an unknown object to gain access to the vehicle before driving away unnoticed. He reportedly headed toward his girlfriend’s residence but was involved in an accident along the way. The damaged vehicle, valued at US$4,000, was later abandoned by the roadside, leaving the owner with substantial losses.
Second Theft and Subsequent Accident
In a strikingly similar incident last Sunday shortly after 8 AM, Nyathi allegedly returned to the same church premises and stole another Honda Fit, this time belonging to prison officer Khumbuzile Nyoni. He reportedly drove toward the Gwabalanda suburb to see his girlfriend but again lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and crashed into a tree. He allegedly fled the scene, compounding the severity of the offenses. Police investigations later led to his arrest, after which he confessed to stealing and crashing both vehicles, providing a clear admission of guilt.
Mitigation and Prosecution Arguments
In mitigation, Nyathi told the court he had intended to surprise his girlfriend with a birthday gift and had taken the vehicles to transport the present. “I wanted to surprise her on her special day. Unfortunately, I was involved in accidents on both occasions. I now realise what I did was wrong and ask the court for forgiveness,” he said. However, the State argued that the offenses were premeditated, with the prosecutor stating that Nyathi used calculated methods to unlock and start the vehicles without detection. The victims, the court heard, suffered significant financial and emotional losses as a result of the accidents.
Call for Custodial Sentence
Describing him as a youthful offender who had “started at the deep end,” the prosecutor urged the court to impose a custodial sentence, arguing that imprisonment would provide an opportunity for reform and deter future criminal behavior. This case underscores the serious consequences of motor vehicle theft and reckless driving, particularly when motivated by personal desires. As sentencing approaches, the community watches closely, highlighting the broader issues of crime and justice in Zimbabwe.
