'Dead woman' applies for passport

Officials at the Registrar-General (RG)'s Office in Gwanda were shocked recently when a woman who was registered as dead visited the offices to apply for a passport.

This was heard by Gwanda magistrate Shillah Nhazombe on Monday when Romio Makina (26) appeared before her facing allegations of obtaining a death certificate for Gladys Madyawanhu for unknown reasons.

He was charged for contravening the Registration of Births and Deaths Act (unlawfully giving false information for purposes of registration of birth or still birth or death of a person).

Makina, an assistant electrician at Blanket Mine in Gwanda, pleaded guilty to the charge.

He was convicted and sentenced to 15 days in jail with an alternative of a $50 fine.

Prosecutor Jefta Nyikadzinashe told the court that sometime in February last year, Makina went to the RG's Office in Gwanda where he supplied information to the effect that Madyawanhu had died.

He went on to obtain a death certificate on the woman.

The offence came to light on February 1 this year when Madyawanhu went to the passport offices to apply for a passport.

The woman had a torrid time trying to convince officials that she had never died.

A report was made to the police, leading to Makina's arrest.