A MASVINGO teacher, Nicholas Zengeya, has been fined $30 for illegally removing 50 rocks from the Great Zimbabwe monuments with the intention of building his own structure at home.
BY OWN CORRESPONDENT
Zengeya (51) was convicted and fined on his own plea of guilty to charges of contravening the National Museums and Monuments Act, when he appeared before Masvingo magistrate Oliver Mudzongachiso on Thursday.
He risks a 15-day term if he fails to pay the fine.
In mitigation, Zengeya told the court he was unaware that it was a crime to collect the rocks from the site.
Prosecutor Ngonidzashe Nhukarume told the court that on August 8 this year, Zengeya was found loading 50 blocks of quarry stones in his Toyota Ipsum vehicle after entering the site as a tourist.
Tinashe Muchakata, a site custodian at the monuments, reported him to the police.
