By Rex Mphisa
A get rich quick attempt by a Mozambican national has landed him behind bars in Zimbabwe after his conviction on Wednesday of stealing his employer’s Toyota Hiace Minibus.
Zacarius Agy Garcez Amade, 38, will spend the next 42 months in prison, having been convicted for theft of a motor vehicle in Mozambique.
Regional Magistrate, however, suspended part of the sentence on condition of good behaviour, leaving him with an effective 24 months in jail.
Amade, resident at Bairroizum, Tete, Mozambique, where he is employed as a driver by the complainants Abdul Cadre Elias Kala, 44 years, of 3 de Janeiro, Chingodzi, City of Tete, Mozambique.
Prosecutor Wilbrought Muleya, in his successful case, said on August 11 2025 at about 1400 hours Amade who was in charge of motor vehicle registration MAHE 544 MC as a driver hatched a plan to steal the same car.
He had documents of the car and instructions to ferry children from school to their different houses in their town daily.
He was expected to park the car at the owners house at 1930 hours.
But on the same date, Amade drove the car to Nyamapanda border post and secured a Temporary Import Permit he used to drive to Beitbridge en-route to South Africa.
Unknown to Amade, Kala realised that his driver was not reachable and proceeded to the police station in Mozambique to make a report.
Mozambique police liased with their Zimbabweans counterparts through Interpol, and Amade’s freedom was cut at Beitbridge, where he had just bought his gate passes to go into SA.
Muleya said, recovered as exhibits, ZIMBORDERS slip, Temporary Import Permit, fake authorization letter and vehicle as exhibit number 269/25 and registration book of the Toyota Hiace car.
In his dismissed defence, Amade said he did not intend to keep the car permanently but was visiting his wife and would return to work.
The Beitbridge Regional Magistrate’s Court had to request a special interpreter from outside Beitbridge.