Masvingo Businessman Remanded Over Alleged Stolen Ox Purchase

By Southerton Business Times | Bikita

A prominent Masvingo businessman has been remanded in custody after appearing before the Bikita Magistrates' Court on allegations of purchasing and slaughtering a stolen ox, in a case that has highlighted Zimbabwe's continued fight against stock theft. Jeremiah Moyana (48), who owns butcheries in Masvingo's central business district and Hillside Extension, was arrested on Sunday in Gutu and appeared before Magistrate Diana Masiiwa facing a charge of stock theft.

He was jointly charged with Hasani Maramwidze (34), who allegedly assisted in slaughtering the animal. However, Maramwidze was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the offence. The alleged seller, Tapiwa Chateuka (21) of Murape Village under Chief Marozva in Gutu, was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory nine-year prison term prescribed under Zimbabwe's stock theft laws.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Chateuka stole the ox belonging to fellow villager Mary Nhamo last Friday before driving it to Gutu, where he allegedly sold it to Moyana. Prosecutors allege that Moyana subsequently arranged for the animal to be slaughtered before the meat could be transported to Masvingo for sale. Police investigations were triggered after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Gutu received information that a stolen beast had been slaughtered and that the carcass was about to be transported to Masvingo.

Acting on the tip-off, officers intercepted the suspects and recovered a carcass weighing 160.3 kilogrammes, together with 28.5 kilogrammes of offal believed to be from the stolen animal. The stolen ox was valued at US$500. Moyana was remanded in custody and is expected to return to court as investigations continue. Stock theft remains one of Zimbabwe's most serious rural crimes, with police regularly urging farmers, livestock traders and butcheries to verify proof of ownership before purchasing cattle. Under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], stock theft carries stiff mandatory custodial sentences aimed at protecting the country's livestock industry.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has repeatedly warned that anyone found buying, transporting or dealing in suspected stolen livestock risks criminal prosecution, regardless of whether they were involved in the actual theft. Authorities have also encouraged members of the public to report suspicious livestock transactions to the police as part of ongoing efforts to curb cattle rustling, which continues to cause significant losses to communal and commercial farmers across the country.

Masvingo businessman stock theft