Former minister arrested for stock theft

Former cabinet minister Nicholas Goche is reported to have been arrested last night on allegations of stock theft. The former Zanu Pf bigwig was picked up by police details on charges of stealing an undisclosed number of cattle. He was arrested in Bindura. Stock theft is a serious offence in Zimbabwe attracting a mandatory sentence of ten years if one is found guilty.

Most people are perplexed at this development. National spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest and said he was yet to get fuller details on the case.

Goche was once riding high as the minister of Public service, labour and social welfare during the Mugabe era. It seems his woes are never ending. He was dragged to court in 2018 on an outstanding electricity bill of over US 300 000 dollars. The former minister will have to face the full wrath of the law. Law enforcement agents have been descending heavily on former political top dogs on several charges including corruption and theft. Those that have been caught in the crossfire include Prisca Mupfumira, Ignatius Chombo and Augustine Chihuri.

There have been mixed reactions to the arrest from various people. Some are still trying to process how a former minister could be fingered in such atrocious activities. Goche was left out in the cold following the 2017 coup that ushered in the new dispensation.

Most people are following closely on the case to see the outcome of the matter. Some have called for the judiciary to spare the “catch and release” strategy that seems to be dominant over cases involving high ranking officials. Goche is one of the former ministers to encounter a myriad of problems ever since being toppled from power