Two Harare Men Jailed for Selling Underweight Sugar
Two Harare men have been convicted of fraud for deceiving customers by labelling their sugar packets as 2kg when the actual weight was far less.
Enerst Gwetsai (30) of Glenview 1 and Forget Dzapasi of Glen Norah A were sentenced to 12 months in prison by a Harare Magistrates Court. However, four months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, and the remaining eight months were suspended if they completed 210 hours of community service.
In addition to the sentence, the duo was fined US$100 for selling the sugar without proper invoices.
During the trial, the court heard how Gwetsai and Dzapasi falsely labelled brown sugar packets as 2kg, while the actual weight ranged between 1.243kg and 1.33kg. Police detectives uncovered the scam in June 2024 after purchasing a case of sugar from a shop in Harare’s CBD.
Subsequent investigations traced the sugar to the two men, who failed to produce invoices or delivery notes for their stock.
Also read: ZRP Sheds Light On Viral Statement Threatening to Arrest Anyone Filming Accidents
Mbare Man Arrested for Stealing Fertilizer Using Forged Receipt
In a separate case, 22-year-old Victor Vambe appeared in court on charges of stealing 39 bags of fertilizer from Farm and City Centre.
The State alleged that in November 2024, Vambe and his accomplice, Lovemore Randa, purchased one bag of ammonium nitrate and two bags of compound D fertilizer from the store. They were issued a receipt for their purchase.
Vambe then forged the receipt to make it appear as though they had bought 39 bags. Using the falsified document, the duo collected the additional bags from Farm and City Centre and sold them in Mbare.
Arrest and Recovery
Acting on a tip-off, police officers went undercover as buyers and approached Vambe at Matagarika Flats in Mbare. Vambe showed them the fertilizer, leading to his arrest. Authorities recovered 21 bags of compound D and 13 bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
Vambe was released on US$100 bail and ordered to reside at his given address and avoid interfering with State witnesses as the case progresses.
Chris Matambanadzo
Coming from a long line of television and radio personalities, it was only natural for Chris Matambanadzo to venture into the media space. Chris is an avid reader who fancies himself a philosopher and poet. He is passionate about anime, music and movies.