Selling US$100 battery for only US$10 — Dull petty thieves arrested with loot
Two Chegutu men are cooling their heels in prison after trying to flip a US$100 farm tractor battery for the price of a plate of isitshwala and mahewu, a business idea that blew up spectacularly.
The Chegutu Magistrates’ Court has jailed Brighton Bwanali (30) for 36 months and his accomplice Shadreck Simango (23) for six months after convicting them of theft.
The bunglers in crime struck on 23 January 2026 at Ngulube Workshop in Chegutu, where a farmer had parked his tractor for tyre repairs.
As the owner kept a close eye on the tyre mending, the duo allegedly spotted a golden opportunity sitting quietly under the tractor bonnet, a 12-volt Exide 650 battery worth about US$100.
Without wasting time, the pair allegedly unplugged the heavy-duty battery and walked off like they had just borrowed it.
Their next stop was Durawall area, where they attempted to sell the powerful tractor battery for a shocking US$10, a price so low it practically screamed “stolen”.
Prospective buyers reportedly took one look at the battery, did quick mental maths and realised they were being offered a luxury item at tuckshop prices.
Instead of handing over the cash, the buyers alerted detectives.
When police arrived and casually asked where the battery came from, the suspects allegedly decided that running was a better answer than talking, scattering in different directions like loose bolts.
Their legs, however, were no match for community teamwork.
Members of the public joined the chase, cornered the duo and handed them over to police, with the US$100 Exide 650 battery recovered safe and sound.
The court noted that stealing farming equipment sabotages agricultural productivity, but observers could not ignore the irony of risking prison time over a battery they planned to offload for loose change.
Police praised vigilant residents for exposing the bargain-of-the-century scam.
For Bwanali and Simango, the dream of instant cash ended in embarrassment, handcuffs and jail cells.
*_-B-Metro_*
