Woman fakes father-in-law's death to get subscriptions back

WHILE others wish for long lives for themselves and their relatives, a Mangwe woman was so angry that death has not visited her family denying her the chance to benefit from burial society funds that she had to fake her father-in-law's death. Memory Dube (26) from Nxele area approached Batanai Burial Society sometime in February and told the executive that(image) her father-in-law had died in Nkayi and she was given $219.

Appearing before Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon in the civil court, Dube said she made up the story in a bid to raise money to buy food for her family. She said she had been a member of the burial society for the past 10 years but had never suffered any bereavement and she felt it was time to get her subscriptions back.

"It is not like I stole the money from the burial society Your Worship, because I'm also a member and I have been paying subscriptions for the past 10 years. Other members have received payouts more than once and I have not received any because none of my close family members have passed away. I therefore felt it was high time I got my money back and lying was the best way to do it. I used the money to buy mealie-meal and other groceries for my family," she said.

Dube said she never thought it would come out that she faked her father-in-law's death as he stays in Nkayi. Mr Philemon who presided over the matter ordered Dube to pay back the $219 amount she was given by the burial society.

He lashed out at Dube for using such unethical methods to get money. Dube was also sentenced to 315 hours of community service at the Social Welfare offices at the Plumtree Border Post after appearing at the court for the same case.

She was convicted on her own plea of guilty to fraud. The treasurer of the burial society, Mrs Marrieta Moyo said they discovered that Dube had tricked them three months after giving her the money.