Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE Music Rights Association (ZIMURA) executive director, Policile Ncube, is now in the eye of a storm, which could see her being forced out of the organisation, after she was convicted for fraud and fined US$300.
Ncube was facing a forgery charge and an alternative charge of fraud.
Ncube was acquitted on the forgery charge.
The conviction comes at a time when ZIMURA is under the spotlight after H-Metro revealed that gospel star Sabastian Magacha earned a paltry 33 cents a day, US$2,30 a week and US$10 a month from the rights to his music played on various platforms, including on the digital spaces, last year.
These platforms were monitored by the ZIMURA.
Magacha received a payment of just US$120 from ZIMURA last year.
He revealed the ZIMURA payment under oath when he appeared at the Harare Civil Court in a case in which his baby mama was accusing him of neglecting their child.
Ncube was slapped with a six-month jail term by presiding magistrate, Rufaro Panavanhu, which was wholly suspended on condition she does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
In her ruling, magistrate Panavanhu said prosecutor Boniface Masvaire managed to prove a prima facie case against the accused.
The State proved that on July 14, 2023, the complainant (Phillip Chipfumbu) filed a case against ZIMURA at the High Court, under High Court case number HCHC482/23.
The application was calling for a forensic audit at the institution.
On July 20, 2023, Chipfumbu went to the High Court and discovered that Ncube had deposed a forged document, in the form of a CR6 for ZIMURA dated April12, 2023, which was not registered under the Department of Deeds, Companies and Intellectual Property.
The CR6 for ZIMURA was eventually registered under the Department of Deeds, Companies and Intellectual Property on January 15, last year, way after Chipfumbu had filed the police report.
