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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO woman who forged an Ordinary Level certificate which she then used to secure a place to train as a nurse at Mpilo Central Hospital has been fined $300.

Naleki Nyathi (42) of Northvale suburb was convicted of forgery by Bulawayo magistrate Ms Gladmore Mushove.

The magistrate fined her $300 or 60 days in jail in case of default.

She was given up to tomorrow to pay the fine. Nyathi was slapped with an additional three months imprisonment which was wholly suspended for five years on condition that she does not within that period commit a similar offence.

The prosecutor Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza said sometime in 2016, Nyathi went to Mpilo School of Nursing and applied for a nurse training vacancy using a forged “O” Level certificate.

“After her application was accepted, the nursing school sent her certificates to the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) for verification,” said Mr Jaravaza.

He said Zimsec disowned the certificate after discovering that the document was fake leading to Nyathi’s arrest.

In January 2014, another woman from Harare forged an “O” Level certificate, enrolled for training as a nurse and got employed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

The offence was committed in 2009, but the anomaly was only discovered five years later. Caroline Mahwata was convicted of forgery by Harare magistrate Ms Blessing Murwisi who ordered her to perform 140 hours of community service at Avondale Clinic.

She forged the certificate in September 2009 and applied for nurse training at Parirenyatwa. Her application was granted and she successfully trained at the hospital.

Mahwata was employed by the hospital on completion of her training. The anomaly was detected by the Salary Service Bureau who sent the certificate to Zimsec to verify its authenticity.

@mashnets