A 40-year-old homeless man, Godfrey Chininga, appeared Harare magistrate in Harare yesterday, facing charges of breaking into a flat in the Avenues area.
What’s more astonishing is that Chininga allegedly stayed in the flat for nearly four years, without being detected, while the owner was away in the United Kingdom.
According to court documents, Chininga broke into the flat while the owner was away on a trip to the UK. The homeowner, who has not been named, reportedly left the property unoccupied and did not inform anyone of his departure.
Chininga, who has been living on the streets for several years, allegedly took advantage of the situation and made himself at home in the flat. He is accused of using the property as his own personal residence, complete with furniture and appliances that he allegedly acquired from various sources.
The homeowner returned to Harare in January 2022 and was shocked to discover that someone had been living in his flat without his permission. An investigation was launched, and Chininga was eventually arrested and charged with illegal occupancy.
The police report states that Chininga had set up a makeshift home in the flat, with belongings and personal items scattered throughout the property. It is believed that he may have obtained some of the items from nearby shops or scavenged them from other abandoned properties.
Chininga’s defense team claims that he had been living in the flat out of necessity, as he had no other place to go. However, prosecutors argue that he had committed a serious crime by breaking into someone’s property and taking advantage of their absence.
The magistrate presiding over the case has remanded Chininga in custody until his next appearance, pending further investigations. The homeowner has expressed his desire to see justice served and has called for stricter measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
SOURCE : NEWSREPORTZIM.COM
