HARARE - A couple who swindled a local electronic company of more than $93 000 deserve nothing less than jail, Harare magistrate Memory Chigwaza has said.

Anna Mudyiwa and her boyfriend Kennedy Mukubvu will collectively spend the next six-and-half years behind bars.

“A non-custodial sentence will send the wrong message to society and would- be offenders. The accused deserve no other sentence but a custodial sentence,” said Magwaza.

Mudyiwa was sentenced to five years  behind bars while Mukubvu was jailed for 18 months.

The court heard that between September 2010 to September 2011, Mudyiwa and Mukubvu hatched a plan to defraud Heinz Taube Electronics Private Limited (Heinz).

Heinz is a Zimbabwean company in the business of selling and servicing generators.

During the said period, Mudyiwa, who was employed by the company as the sales officer, received $93 646 from customers who bought generators.

Instead of giving the money to the company director Bharati Kidia, Mudyiwa misappropriated the funds in connivance with Makubvu. - Ivan Zhakata