Pair in court for embezzling club money

club.
About 136 residents of Lobengula West met at the beginning of the year and formed Mpumelelo Club in which members would meet every Sunday and make contributions.
The members would contribute any amount, which would then be banked in the club’s CBZ account.
The arrangement was that they would share the money at the end of the year with each member getting an equivalent of his or her contributions.
However, two of the club’s executive committee members, Cleopatra Dube (35) of 71302 Lobengula West and Sikhumbuzile Mahlangu (43) of 72702 Lobengula West allegedly converted the money meant for banking to their own use.
Dube who was the club’s secretary and Mahlangu were tasked with the responsibility of collecting contributions from members and banking the money.
The duo was yesterday arraigned before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Rose Dube charged with fraud.
They pleaded guilty and Dube told the court that she used the money to boost her business while Mahlangu said she bought medication for her child.
Dube, who is an informal trader pleaded with the court to be given time to restitute the club and said she had already paid back $800.
The magistrate remanded the duo out of custody on their own cognisance to 31 January next year.
The State led by Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa alleges that at the beginning of the year, Lobengula West residents formed Mpumelelo Club.
They agreed to make weekly contributions to be banked at the club’s CBZ account and the total amount was to be shared at the end of the year based on an individual’s contributions.
Acting in common purpose, Dube and Mahlangu instead of banking the money, forged deposit slips and converted the money to their own use.
They would alter the amounts on the slips both in figures and words and converted the difference to their own use.
The total amount of money stolen was $9 382 and 20 136 rand.