Suya seller sentenced to 30 days in prison for attempted car theft

Meanwhile, South Africa’s church treasurer has bagged a 3-yr jail term for stealing tithes, and offerings.

On Wednesday, the Pretoria Specialized Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Lady Memory Mutsika, a resident of Zimbabwe, to three years in prison for stealing more than R800,000 from the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The court sentenced Mutsika, 43, the treasurer of the aforementioned church in Pretoria City, after finding her guilty of 128 counts of theft.

Several reports from South Africa said her duties were transferring tithe and offering money deposited to the church account, to the northern conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

According to Times Live, Mutsika, in court, pleaded guilty to the charges and demanded a non-custodial sentence to pay the church back the money over five years.

“However, the state argued that Mutsika always indicated her willingness to pay back the money and has not paid back a single cent since March 2022, after she was convicted. The magistrate agreed with the state and said Mutsika showed no remorse,” Mahanjana said.

The NPA’s spokesperson further stated, “He further said that he viewed Mutsika’s willingness to pay back the money, as a bargaining tool and as a ticket to keep her out of prison. Therefore, a sentence of imprisonment was appropriate and criminal conduct has consequences.”