….Adventist Minister caught offside
By Dumisani Ndlovu
A Gweru based Sanyati African Seventh Day Adventist Church branch pastor who was caught on camera stealing from his deceased church mate, some few hours after his death was convicted of theft and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Pastor Learnmore Rupiya of Number 48 Treetops; Gweru was caught stealing 200 pairs of shoes from his deceased church member some few hours after his death. The shoes which belong to Delan Maregere, a student from the Midlands State University were left in the possession of his brother who used to keep them over night at Alice Building. He was convicted on his own plea of guilty and sentenced by Gweru magistrate, Nixon Mangoti after a full trial.
According to state papers, on the 9th of March 2024, at around 2200hr the complaint Maregere placed his 200 pairs of different types of shoes, packed in three sacks in a passage at Alice building which houses African Seventh Day Adventist Church.
The complainant, Maregere told the court that on the same day at around 2300hrs the accused took advantage that he had left his shoes in the possession of his brother, Peter Hungwe who eventually passed on the day in question. Upon hearing about Hungwe’s death who used to stay at the Church the pastor thatched a plan to steal the shoes.
In his statement, Maregera also added that at Alice building along 6th street, Gweru in the passage to the exit door is where he used to leave his business staff for safe keeping, since July 2023.
The man of the cloth, Pastor Rupiya on the 9th of March 2024 took advantage of the death and got inside the church through the backdoor. While inside the accused pastor took 200 pairs of men’s wear shoes which was packed in sacks and went away. He hired a taxi registration number AFO 6592 driven by Lovemore Dube and went to give them to Beauty Muvengi to sell.
On 11 March 2024 for detectives Lakayana Musevenzi, Gift Gorongonya, Dzoro and Matare from the Criminal Investigative Department made investigations and analysed a Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage together with the complainant.
The Detectives spotted the accused person as well as the motor vehicle used to ferry the stolen property. The complainant spotted the vehicle used to commit the crime and informed the CID officers who acted swiftly and identified the driver, Lovemore Dube who led the detectives to the recovery of 122 pair of stolen shoes. The complainant was invited to the police and positively identified the recovered shoes as his.
The man of God was apprehended by the police and voluntarily led the detectives for indications.
“You are a strange pastor, yes there might be some out there who may do the same but you are the worst. We don’t expect such an act from a man of the cloth. To make matters worse the man whom you stole from had lost his brother who was your church mate. Instead of consoling and comforting him as a man of God, you decided to further hurt him by stealing his shoes. The only place for you is jail,” said Magistrate Mangoti, replacing a smile with a tough expression.
Pastor Rupiya must be thanking God after he escaped a custodial sentence as six months of his sentence were suspended on conditions that he does not commit similar crime in the next five years.
“It would be unwise for me to sentence you to a custodial sentence while I want you to restitute the complainant. If I do you won’t find the money for restitution, the complainant will lose, with that in mind I sentence you to 24 months in prison, 4 months suspended on conditions that you do not commit similar offence in the next five year,” said Magistrate Mangoti.
Ten months were suspended on the condition that he restitutes USD$1 320 million to the complainant and the remaining 10 months also suspended on the condition that he serves 350 hours of community service at Tapiwa Primary School in Willoughbys, Gweru.
In passing Rupiya’s sentence, the Magistrate said such behaviour is unbecoming of a man of cloth.
Rupiya was charged with one count of theft after he got the Church premises and got away with property worth over US$4 000 and shoes worth only 2680 was recovered.
He pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared before the presiding Gweru Magistrate Nixon Mangoti.
Rupiya who admitted that he stole the shoes blamed temptations for committing the crime.
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ASDCA Pastor Learnmore Rupiya
