CHICKEN INN BOSS BLEW US$8,641 PLAYING CHINDEGE
Manager admits taking company cash as court hands her 420 hours of community service
A Chicken Inn manager who admitted taking company money allegedly lost US$8,641 while playing chindege, a gambling game, before a Plumtree court sentenced her to 24 months in prison, with the final 12 months converted to community service.
Nomathamsanqa Moyo, a shift manager at the fast-food outlet, appeared before the Plumtree Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 15 October 2026, facing a theft charge involving US$10,489.69.
Moyo admitted taking the money but disputed the amount, telling the court she had taken US$8,641.
The alleged theft occurred between 9 September and 12 October 2026 and came to light after discrepancies were discovered in the outlet’s financial records.
According to the account presented in court, a cashier disclosed that she had handed money to Moyo after banking it, prompting further checks. Investigators allegedly uncovered transfers of company funds into several mobile-money accounts, including accounts linked to Moyo and members of her family.
As shift manager, Moyo was responsible for keeping the cash-vault keys and safeguarding the outlet’s money.
The prosecution argued that the alleged theft represented a serious breach of trust and urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence.
24 MONTHS — BUT 420 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
The court imposed a 24-month prison sentence, with four months suspended on condition that Moyo does not commit a similar offence within five years.
A further eight months were suspended on condition that she repays the money within the stipulated period, leaving 12 months to be served through 420 hours of community service.
Moyo told the court that she was married with children who depended on her. She also said she had no livestock or other property to sell to raise money for repayment.
The sentence leaves her subject to the court’s conditions on good behaviour and repayment, alongside the community-service order.
