A Masvingo man stunned a courtroom after telling a High Court judge he was “too busy” to return 1,600 metres of stolen barbed wire Stephen Mapotere (32), of Village 18D in Mushandike Resettlement under Chief Charumbira, had taken the wire from Justice Sunsley Zisengwe’s rural property and used nearly every metre to fence off his homestead and pigsty Only 20 metres went unused Mapotere appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Caroline Tafira Nyoni on theft charges
He was convicted, fined US$400, and ordered to pay the judge US$180 in restitution by 18 August 2025 or spend a month in prison The theft came to light on 28 June when Justice Zisengwe visited his property in Chief Bere’s area and discovered the missing fencing After notifying the local village head, word quickly spread, and Mapotere was identified as the culprit On 9 July, the judge confronted him in front of several village heads and offered to drop the matter if the fence was returned
But Mapotere reportedly brushed off the offer, saying his casual work left him too busy to dismantle it The judge then reported the case to police, who recovered the unused 20 metres of barbed wire from Mapotere’s home It was tendered in court as evidence — the only piece of the fence that never got to guard the pigs.
Source: Zimeye
