Mbabane — A domestic worker who repeatedly stole foreign currency from his employer’s bedroom has been sentenced by the Mbabane Magistrate Court and ordered to pay back the money.
Lungelo Fortune Magagula, who had pleaded with Dr Clara Munyanandzi for a job out of desperation, admitted in court to stealing US$500 from her home. The court heard that he gained access to the money by pretending to make tea, then sneaked into her bedroom where the cash was kept.
Magagula had been working in Dr Munyanandzi’s household alongside his wife, who was employed as a maid. The doctor had also been assisting the couple with groceries and errands prior to the theft.
Testimony revealed that the theft was not a one-time incident. Magagula returned to the bedroom several times to take more dollars before the doctor noticed the gradual disappearance of her money. When questioned, he confessed and told the court that he stole because he owed someone E8,000. He admitted exchanging the stolen notes at Tandoori Forex in Mbabane, receiving E1,700 for every US$100.
Presiding Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati described Magagula’s actions as a betrayal of trust and said the crime was a serious breach of the goodwill shown by his employer.
Magagula was convicted under Section 3.21 of the Criminal Act and sentenced to either pay a fine of E2,000 or serve a two-year prison term. He was also ordered to compensate Dr Munyanandzi with E10,000.
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