Thief begs to be jailed
Zimbabwe's prisons are often condemned for squalid overcrowding but a thief begged a magistrate to lock him up permanently, saying life was better behind bars.
Repeat offender Lovemore Manyika, 22, pleaded for life imprisonment in a note during mitigation after he was convicted for housebreaking.
"Life in prison is better than life in the streets," Manyika is reported to have said in his note which was read out by the state prosecutor, according to The Herald newspaper.
"May I have life in prison."
But the court sentenced Manyika to three years in jail.
Prosecutors said Manyika scaled a security wall at a block of flats in July before entering an apartment through a toilet window and stealing various electrical gadgets, two Apple iPhones and $1,800 (1,467 euros) cash.
The magistrate suspended six months of Manyika's sentence on condition that he pays back $1,956, the paper said.
Zimbabwe's prisons have been condemned by rights activists as unfit for human habitation and inmates often suffer from communicable diseases, while food is in short supply.
Picture taken from www.twzr.bz

Comments
Mellow
"Life in prison is better than life in the streets,"....................................................................................................
oohh please Manyika dont be silly you have a home in SA havent you heard already? Just come home we will care for you here like we doing with the rest of your family
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CheeseBoy
I honestly believe a lot of our criminals here have the same attitude. they commit crimes just so they have a free meal, blanket and a roof over their heads. I mean really, why suffer with trying to earn a living when the basics are given to you for free by us, the hard working tax payers.This guy is just being honest about it.
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Mellow
Zimbabwe's prisons have been condemned by rights activists as unfit for human habitation and inmates often suffer from communicable diseases, while food is in short supply...................................................................................................................................
Unfit for human habitation well ppl dont go to jail for a vacation I dont see why their stay should be made comfy in anyway there's nothing wrong with the zim jail its perfect its so tiring to feed this bustards anyways they k.ill, steal, rape and all sorts of crap then we pay them with a bed and food of plate eish SA
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OLDLADY4
Mellow, as a society, we collectively hold responsibility for our high crime rate. Did you know that 93% of violent criminals were first convicted for something small, like stealing a loaf of bread to feed their children? They get 6 months or so in jail, and what happens when they come out? No support from Correctional or society, and the children worse off than before with father gone for 6 mths. And this is how it works in prison.... if you go there for the first time, you are more or less excused by other inmates, but if you go back a second time, you dare not go back for something small. See, most long term prisoners believe that if they were given a chance to go out, they'd make it, so they don't tolerate someone coming back for a second time unless it is for something serious. A petty offender then, when he steals a loaf of bread again to feed his children, makes sure that he k.ills in the process, so that if he's caught, he can go back for a serous offence.Report Abuse
Abdulla-Saleeh
It would appear someone is impartial to anal sex.Report Abuse
CheeseBoy
@MellowI support you there. our prisons are like 5 star hotels compared to other prisons in Africa. Who decided that prisoners must have human rights yet they took away rights from their victims.
We must make our prisons like the ones in Zim, and make them inhumane and filthy. THEN you can be guranteed crime in Mzansi will go down.
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Mellow
@OLDLADY4Its crazy really I have noticed how the inmates will respect someone who's in for murder but somehow the tables are turned if it was for stealing and they really dont tolerate child abusers/rapists or women bashers makes me wonder who sets this standards and as much as most will use poverty as the mitigating factor I can never feel sorry for anyone who puts another soul in trauma for their selfish wellbeing yeah life is tough and all but you cant feed yourself at the expense of others
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Maezizsto4Sure
Well it is not only that dude there are others like him in SA.There are guys who feel a lot at home in prison than when they outside...you've got protection from your gang and other inmates tend to respect you because of your affiliation to a specific gang...whereas when you outside people treat you like dirt and have a kak attitude towards you, you get threatend about police every now and then.Report Abuse
Mellow
@Cheeseboy And some lucky ones get to walk away free only to go and repeat them crimes again go back to jail only to be pardoned by zuma then you find a few which were given opportunity to study further become lawyers, doctors etc. and they come out and expects their victims to use their services isnt it crazy? ONLY IN MZANSI FOR SUREReport Abuse
Mellow
@Maezi talking from experience? I know you ppl have internet access so are you blogging from prison?Report Abuse
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