A 23-year-old man has been handed an effective 12-month prison sentence for stealing a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) patrol vehicle from the Chemagamba Police Camp in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.
The suspect, Godfrey Musa Ndlovu, was convicted by the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to the offence, which the court described as a grave abuse of trust involving government property.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the incident occurred around 5:00 a.m. on December 7, 2025. A police officer was preparing to travel to Mutoko in a silver Kia Rio patrol car when Ndlovu—who is related to the officer’s neighbour—requested a ride into Chinhoyi town. He was allowed to place his belongings in the vehicle.
However, while the officer briefly stepped away to retrieve his mobile phone, leaving the car keys inside a jacket on the seat, Ndlovu allegedly took advantage of the situation, grabbed the keys and drove off with the patrol vehicle.
Security operatives later tracked his movements and intercepted him near the Thrills Service Station, where he was found travelling in an unregistered taxi locally referred to as a *mushikashika*. Following his arrest, Ndlovu led officers to Ruvimbo Phase 2, where the stolen vehicle was recovered.
Investigations revealed that the car, valued at US$6,000, had been tampered with. Its number plates had been removed, the third plate altered, the police radio disconnected, and the communication aerial damaged. The missing plates, worth an estimated US$650, were not recovered.
The court sentenced Ndlovu to 30 months in prison, suspending 18 months on condition of good behaviour, resulting in an effective one-year jail term. In its judgment, the court stressed that state property is protected by law and warned that violations of trust would attract severe punishment.
