Zimpapers Logo

Nokusa Masuku Court Reporter
THREE Bulawayo women allegedly embezzled over $6,000 burial society funds which were entrusted to them by the association’s members.

Madelina Mpofu, 55, Siqhaphele Sithole, 47 and Beauty Sithole, 45 all residents of Cowdray Park and former Qhubanikahle Burial Society executive members appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Temba Chimiso to answer fraud charges.

They were not asked to plead and were remanded out of custody to February 25 on $100 bail each. The three were exposed after an audit was carried out and the society members discovered that over $6,000 was missing.

Prosecuting Tony Kamudyariwa told the court that the three accused had been the society’s executive members since 2009.

“When an audit was carried out, the members discovered that about half of the society’s funds were missing. The three who were in custody of the funds failed to account for the missing funds,” said Kamudyariwa.

The members reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Mpofu, Siqhaphele and Beauty. Magistrate Chimiso ordered Mpofu, Siqhaphele and Beauty to reside at their place of residences in Cowdray Park.

He said they should not interfere with State witnesses until the matter is concluded.

Last year, a man was arrested after he allegedly squandered over $6,000 belonging to a burial society.

Batrueman Sithole, 68, who allegedly was the president of Litshonile Ilanga burial society, lent the money to the society’s secretary who failed to pay it back. The members realised that Sithole had lent all the money to the secretary breaching their agreement that no society’s funds were to be lent to anyone.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Sithole’s arrest.