National hero's widow arrested for school fees fraud

THE wife of the late national hero, Jacob Mapepete, was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission after she collected school fees from Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) for her son who had already been deregistered by the school for non-payment of fees.

Rufaro Mapepete (52), who appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with fraud, was remanded in custody to Monday for bail ruling. It is alleged that sometime in January this year, Mapepete allegedly generated a receipt with $35 000 and forwarded it to the ZNLWVA head office purporting that the invoice was for her son at Washington Hills High School.

The ZNLWVA credited $35 000 into Washington Hill High School for her child's school fees. Investigations revealed that in September 2019, the child was deregistered from Washington Hills High School for non-payment of school fees.

The State alleges that the accused corruptly prepared an invoice to the war veterans association for the school fees of the child who had already been deregistered.

The accused ordered the school to transfer the money into her personal FBC Bank account, but the school accountant refused, saying he would refund the war veterans association.

The accused allegedly insisted to be paid the money into her personal account, but the accountant asked her to sign a requisition form and at the same time, alerting Zacc, whose officers arrested her at the scene.

The State further alleges that Mapepete in June 2019 also generated a school receipt with US$11 500 and forwarded it to the ZNLWVA purporting to be for the Cambridge examinations registration for her two children.