By Staff Reporter

MUTARE – A 74-year-old-man and his 38-year-old-son were each slapped with nine-year jail terms after being convicted of stealing and slaughtering a neigbhour’s heifer.

Eric Rasekeswa and his son Moses of Munyebvu Village under Chief Mutambara in Chimanimani pleaded guilty to stock-theft charges when they appeared before Magistrate Purity Gumbo.

Prosecutors told the court that Moses found Anesu Chidiriro’s black and white heifer in Marembwe grazing area in Munyebvu Village on June 16 at around 1700 hours and slaughtered it.

Rasekeswa then called his father who assisted in skinning the stolen beast. They then carried the carcass to their homestead.

He allegedly took some of the meat to a bush about 500 metres from their homestead where he hung the meat on a wire to dry in two different places.

On June 20, Moses was seen with a 2kg packet of semi-dried meat by Solomon Bvumba, a  police constabulary leading to a search of his home where two sacks of semi-dried meat were found.

Rasekeswa was arrested and taken to Cashel Valley Police Station where upon further interrogation he implicated his 74 year-old father leading to his arrest.

After interrogation by police, the cattle thief also revealed other two places where he had hung the meat to dry. The recovered meat weighed 75kgs and valued at US$300 while the beast was valued at US$450.

Chris Munyuki prosecuted.