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Tinotenda Hove – A Kadoma woman has been convicted and sentenced after stealing nearly US$30,000 from her employer, Delta Beverages, and attempting to destroy the evidence by setting some of the stolen money on fire.

Evelyn Mkwananzi (38), employed as a cashier at the beverage company, was handed a 38-month prison sentence by the Kadoma Magistrates’ Court. On May 4, 2023, instead of depositing the previous day’s takings, she disappeared with US$29,896 in sales revenue.

In a desperate attempt to cover her tracks, Mkwananzi set fire to a portion of the cash before fleeing. Her actions were captured on CCTV, which showed her starting the fire and fleeing the scene.

Thanks to the quick intervention by Delta’s security team, US$12,500 of the stolen money was recovered. However, US$470 and ZWL$900 were partially burned in the attempted cover-up.

Magistrates structured her sentence with several conditions:

• 10 months were suspended for five years,
• 12 months were suspended on the condition that she reimburses the full amount,
• The remaining 16 months were commuted to 560 hours of community service at Rutendo Primary School in Kwekwe.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) condemned her actions, emphasizing that trying to conceal crimes often worsens the outcome.

“This case serves as a reminder that integrity is paramount. Attempts to hide wrongdoing only deepen the consequences. The justice system remains firm on accountability,” the NPA said in a statement.