Tractor Battery Theft for US$10 Lands Chegutu Duo Behind Bars

Two Chegutu men have been sentenced to prison after the Chegutu Magistrates’ Court convicted them of theft for stealing a tractor battery from a workshop and attempting to sell it for US$10 earlier this year. Brighton Bwanali (30) was jailed for 36 months while his accomplice Shadreck Simango (23) received a six-month sentence following the incident that occurred on 23 January 2026 at Ngulube Workshop in Chegutu. The court heard that the victim had taken a farm tractor for tyre mending when the pair allegedly approached the parked vehicle, removed a 12-volt Exide 650 battery and carried it away while the owner was distracted.

Prosecutors said the offenders later went to the Durawall area intending to sell the battery at a low price but prospective buyers grew suspicious and alerted detectives. Detectives swiftly responded to the scene, and when questioned about the battery’s origin, the two men reportedly fled before being apprehended with the assistance of members of the public.