Teen (16) Jailed Eight Years for Stealing Three Cars

Hwange – A 16-year-old juvenile from Chief Shana in Jambezi, Matabeleland North, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing three cars by the Hwange Regional Magistrates Court.

The teen was convicted and sentenced on June 25, 2026, by Regional Magistrate Shepherd Munjanja after the court found him guilty of stealing three Honda Fit vehicles in separate incidents committed between June 3 and June 10, 2026.

Gracious Tshuma prosecuted on behalf of the State.

Court papers reveal that the first theft occurred on June 3, 2026, in Hwange at around 8:30pm, when a complainant parked his Honda Fit outside his residence before retiring to bed.

During the night, the accused allegedly used an unknown object to unlock the vehicle and drove away.

The complainant discovered the vehicle missing the following morning and reported the matter to the police.

The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Cinderella, Hwange.

The court heard that the juvenile employed the same modus operandi the following day, June 4, 2026.

He allegedly stole another Honda Fit in Victoria Falls after its owner had parked it outside a residential yard before going to bed.

The vehicle was recovered on June 10, 2026, at Sawanga Mall in Victoria Falls after detectives received information that it had been abandoned there.

Evidence before the court reveals that detectives launched a manhunt following the recovery of the second vehicle.

On June 10, 2026, detectives located the accused seated in a third Honda Fit that had reportedly been stolen earlier that day, although court papers do not specify where the vehicle had been stolen.

Upon noticing the detectives, the accused allegedly started the vehicle and sped away in an attempt to evade arrest before he was apprehended.

The stolen vehicle was recovered.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Edmore Chiseko (43) and Dean Chirimunimba (32) were arrested by detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) Harare on June 24, 2026, after investigators received information that Chirimunimba was attempting to sell a Honda Fit suspected to have been stolen.

Follow-up investigations led to the arrest of the two suspects and the recovery of the vehicle together with a forged registration book.

Investigations further revealed that the pair allegedly hired motor vehicles from car rental companies before fraudulently selling them to unsuspecting buyers after forging registration documents.

The two suspects are expected to appear in court on June 26, 2026.

CID spokesperson, Detective Inspector Rachael Muteweri, has appealed to members of the public who may have fallen victim to similar motor vehicle theft or vehicle fraud schemes to report to CID VTS Harare.

She urged anyone who may be able to identify recovered property linked to such offences to come forward and assist police with ongoing investigations