A 31-year-old man from Seke, Chitungwiza, has been sentenced to an effective four years in prison for stealing a Toyota Vanguard valued at US$10,000 in Harare.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said Nyasha Maruva was convicted by the Harare Magistrates’ Court for stealing a motor vehicle belonging to Michael Nyarugwe.
According to the NPAZ, the incident occurred after Nyarugwe left his vehicle in the custody of his mechanic at a garage in Marlborough, Harare, in July 2026.
“The offender befriended the garage’s security guard and stole the keys to the pearl Toyota Vanguard, registration number AEL 4057,” said NPAZ.
On August 24, 2026, at around 5.20am, Maruva allegedly returned to the garage and stole the vehicle.
“The victim was later informed by his mechanic that the vehicle was missing, prompting him to report the matter to the police,” said NPAZ.
The authority said detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad Harare Crack Team received information on October 14, 2026, that Maruva was allegedly attempting to sell the stolen vehicle.
“ The detectives posed as potential buyers, lured the offender into a meeting and arrested him,” the NPAZ said.
The vehicle was recovered, although its registration plates, ZINARA disc, radio licence disc and insurance disc were missing.
The stolen property was valued at US$10,000, with property worth US$9,300 recovered.
Maruva was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Eight months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, while a further four months were suspended on condition that he restitutes US$700 to the victim by October 30, 2026, bringing his effective sentence to four years.