Botswana: Zim Offender Punished
The Voice (Francistown)
20 May 2008
Posted to the web 20 May 2008
Nelson Direng
Francistown
Illegal immigrant Theophillus Nare did little to improve public suspicion of Zimbabweans when he was convicted of theft at Phase IV Customary Court in Francistown.
Last Friday, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for unlawfully entering the country and four strokes for theft. He was found with a haul of stolen property from a Chinese shop that included a DVD player, a Super Game VCD 300, clothing and a pair of shoes.
According to Deputy Court President, Pogisego Mosarwe, Nare had twice been convicted of illegally entering the country. On the first occasion in 2003 at the Serowe Magistrates Court he identified himself as Theo Khumalo, which he claimed was his mothers' surname. Then in September 2007 he was again arrested and in addition prosecuted for two cases of common assault at the Matshelagabedi Customary Court.
In all, he was fined P200, imprisoned for four months and received five strokes.
In mitigation Nare said that he was the breadwinner for his two children in Botswana, one of which had a heart disease, and their mother was unemployed. He also asked for forgiveness from the Chief and promised that it would be the last time he committed any offence.