Woman fakes in-law’s death to defraud burial society
Unrepentant cellphone thief gets five years
A 26-YEAR-OLD Mangwe woman faked her father-in-law’s death to defraud a burial society of $219.
Memory Dube who is from Nxele Village approached Batanai Burial Society sometime in February and told them that her father-inlaw had died in Nkayi. She was given $219. Dube told a court she had been contributing to the burial society for 10 years but had never had a bereavement, so she felt it was time for her to benefit.
The treasurer of the burial society, Mrs Marrieta Moyo said they discovered that Dube had tricked them three months after giving her the money.
Last month a criminal court sentenced Dube to 315 hours of community service at the social welfare offices at the Plumtree Border Post for defrauding the burial society.
Last week, the society dragged her back to court in a civil claim for the $219.
Plumtree magistrate, Mr Livard Philemon ordered Dube to pay back the money.
He gave Dube a tongue lashing for defrauding the burial society. — @ DubeMatutu A 40-YEAR-OLD ex-convict from Masvingo’s Rujeko Suburb has been sentenced to five years in prison for breaking into 25 houses before fishing out cellphones and cash with a combined value of $4 000.
Isaac Dhliwayo (40) of Rujeko C Suburb allegedly committed all the crimes at around 11PM on different dates.
He was released from prison in 2012 after serving three years for similar charges.
Dhliwayo would allegedly fish out cellphones and wallets from the residents’ houses using a hook made from wire tied to a stick.
Dhliwayo was yesterday convicted of 28 counts of unlawful entry and theft by Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langton Ndokera. He had pleaded guilty to all the counts.
Mr Ndokera suspended five months from the five years on condition of good behaviour.
In passing sentence, Mr Ndokera said Dhliwayo was an unrepentant criminal who deserved a lengthy stay in prison so that he returns to society a reformed person.
“You are a serial thief who is unrepentant. You went on a housebreaking and theft spree, stealing cellphones and money despite the fact that you once served a prison sentence for a similar crime,” said Mr Ndokera.
For the State Ms Nancy Makuvise said Dhliwayo committed the crimes between April and this month.