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Court Reporter
A 23-YEAR-OLD soldier was yesterday sentenced to an effective 18 months in prison for faking the death of her son and a relative to swindle US$3 000 from First Mutual Life Insurance. Cathrine Sifelani Moyo of Sanganyika Street in Rujeko, Masvingo, pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Harare magistrate Ms Miriam Banda sentenced Moyo to two years and five months in prison, but suspended six months on condition of good behaviour for the next five years.
Another six months were suspended on condition that Moyo restitutes First Mutual Life Insurance the US$3 000.
She will serve an effective 18 months in prison.
The complainant in the matter is First Mutual Life Insurance represented by its claims manager Mr Domonic Manomano.
The court heard that Moyo was a member of the Zimbabwe National Army stationed at No. 43 Reserve Force Battalion in Masvingo.
Prosecutor Ms Constance Ngombengombe told the court that on August 21 this year Moyo went to First Mutual Life Insurance at No. 99 Jason Moyo Avenue, Harare.
Moyo lied to First Mutual Life Insurance that her son, Wayne Mukwembi, a beneficiary of her policy, had died on June 25 this year.
Moyo submitted her son’s death certificate serial number 125573 and made a claim of US$1 500, which was duly paid to her.
Ms Ngombengombe told the court that six days later Moyo went back to First Mutual Life Insurance and lied again that Naison Mabhengere, a beneficiary on her policy, had died on July 1.
She claimed US$1 500, which she was given.
First Mutual Life Insurance later discovered that the death certificates bore the same serial num- bers.
Investigations revealed that the two beneficiaries were still alive, leading to Moyo’s arrest.
Meanwhile, a Harare man is threatening to kill his stepsister for refusing to vacate their father’s house, claiming her mother was “only” his father’s “prostitute”.
Fortunate Mutize told Harare Civil Court magistrate Ms Audrey Tarugarira that Anderson was in the habit of chasing her around the house wielding a knife and a hammer.
Fortunate was seeking a protection order against Anderson whom she said was in the habit of physically and verbally abusing her.
“I am being verbally and physically abused by my brother everyday over our late father’s house where we are currently living together,” she said.
Fortunate told the court that Anderson was chasing her out of their father’s house claiming that she had no right to stay there since her mother was only a “prostitute” to their late father.
“I am now living in fear because he will be brandishing a knife and a hammer each time he starts chasing me around the yard,” said Fortunate.”
“He threatened to kill me if I don’t vacate that house. My mother was not a prostitute like he is always claiming, but she was legally married by his father — our father — as a second wife,” she said.
Anderson denied the allegations levelled against him by Fortunate and accused her of engaging in sexual intercourse with different men in the presence of his minor children.
“I am denying everything that she said because I have never physically or verbally abused her,” he said.
He accused Fortunate of turning a deaf ear to his advice.
Ms Tarugarira granted the protection order in Fortunate’s favour, which barred Anderson from verbally or physically abusing her.
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