Woman fakes children's deaths to get grants

A 48-year-old woman from Redcliff has been arraigned before the courts in Gweru facing charges of fraud after she allegedly faked the deaths of her three children in order to receive funeral grants totalling $2 250.

The accused, Gladys Bvunzawabaya, who is employed by the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Redcliff offices, obtained $750 cash on each of the three occasions she told First Mutual Life Assurance that her child had died.

She pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud when she appeared on Friday before provincial magistrate Mr Sithembinkosi Msipa.

Bvunzawabaya was remanded to today on $150 bail.

For the State, Mr Michael Mhene told the court that on 26 November 2011, the accused hatched a plan and processed a counterfeit death certificate that helped her falsify the death of his first-born son, Travis.

Mr Mhene said Bvunzawabaya then approached First Mutual Life seeking a funeral grant armed with the fake death certificate.

The court heard that cash amounting to $750 was processed and given to Bvunzawabaya before she converted the money to her own use.

Mr Mhene said on 29 February 2012, Bvunzawabaya again falsified the death of her other child, Anita, and again obtained $750 cash from First Mutual Life.

The court heard that on 2 July 2012, Bvunzawabaya used the same method and approached First Mutual Life this time after faking the death of her daughter, Shamiso.

Mr Mhene said First Mutual Life, Kwekwe branch manager, Mr Hamprey Chengeta later became suspicious about the rate at which Bvunzawabaya was claiming funeral grants and instituted investigations.

Bvunzawabaya was later arrested by the police. The total value of money that the funeral policy company was prejudiced of was $2 250 and nothing was recovered.