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Plaxcedes Hove Court Reporter
THREE Bulawayo women who connived to squander $8,000 burial society funds have been sentenced to three years in prison each.
Getrude Murashiri, 47, Fatima Chilongo, 41, and Mariamu Africa, 47, appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Dube charged with theft and were sent away on Wednesday. Prosecuting, Keneth Shava told how between January 2009 and May 7 this year the trio held trust funds amounting to $8,469.
“The trio converted all the money that was meant for Sisonke Burial Society to their own use and failed to hand over the cash to the burial members,” he said.
Shava said the trio connived and took the money without the knowledge of other members of the burial society. Only $200 was recovered.
The three women pleaded guilty to the charge and gave excuses for committing the crime.
“My husband has not been working for the past five years and that’s what made me take the money. I’m also taking care of my sister’s children so I needed money to pay school fees and buy groceries,” said Murashiri.
Chilongo said she would sell her Pumula South house so as to recover the money and pay back.
“I’m willing to sell my house so that I restitute the money that I took. I’ll do anything in my power to give it back,” she said.
In passing sentence Dube said burial societies were designed to assist the bereaved and not solve personal problems. She sentenced them to three years in prison each and suspended one year on condition they restitute $2,823 each before December 30.
Another year was suspended for five years on condition they do not repeat the same offence.
derick.khumalo