WINDHOEK – A Zimbabwean woman who claimed to have stolen clothing worth N$962.94 to sell in order to pay her hospital bill was sentenced to a fine of N$2 000, alternatively three months in jail.
Sheilla Zuidzayi, 26, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court last week. She admitted to presiding Magistrate Justine Asino that she stole one black bag worth N$99.00, one pair of shoes worth N$89.99, one dress worth N$199.99, another dress worth N$149.00, one top worth N$79.99, two tops valued at N$35.99 each, one T-shirt worth N$59.99 and one jeans valued at N$149.99.
According to the police report the accused went into Mr Price the clothing retailer, took the bag and started filling it with the clothing and casually tried to walk out of the shop, but was stopped by a vigilant security guard.
In mitigation, Zuidzayi told Asino that she came to Namibia on October 26 for medical treatment. According to her she is single but the mother of three children, one of five years and twins of three years of age. She asked the court for forgiveness and leniency and informed the magistrate that she could only afford a fine of N$500.
Public Prosecutor Samantha Diergaardt however had no mercy for the accused. She said that it is evident that the accused went on a stealing spree and wanted to enrich herself and had it not been for the vigilance of the security guard she would have gotten away with the crime.
According to Diergaardt, theft out of shops has become a national pastime and shows no signs of decreasing with even foreigners now indulging in it. Diergaardt stressed the fact that Zuidzayi is a foreign national who abused the hospitality offered to her by Namibia and showed a total disregard for Namibia’s laws. The fact the accused stole in order to pay for her hospital fees cannot be seen as a justification and recommended a fine of N$3 000 or three months in jail.
In sentencing the accused, Asino told Zuidzayi the fact that she stole several items is a token of greed and that society needs to be protected from unscrupulous foreigners such as her who abuse the hospitality offered to them, by stealing from citizens.
However, she said the items were recovered and the accused is a first offender with three minor children, which counted in her favour.
By Roland Routh