Rungamirai Machinjike (27) and Talent Rutindingwe (33), a husband and wife from Chief Nhema’s area in Zaka, were arraigned before the Masvingo Magistrates’ Court on charges of fraud.
Machinjike registered for EcoSure Funeral Cover, listing Rutindingwe, their daughter, and her cousin as dependents. Between November 2023 and December 2023, the couple falsely reported their daughter’s death in November 2023. To support their fraudulent claim, Machinjike obtained a death confirmation letter from the headman and identity documents of witnesses, which she handed to her husband to process the claim.
Rutindingwe completed the claim forms and attached the fraudulent documents, signing on behalf of the witnesses. The scam was uncovered when EcoSure conducted preliminary investigations to verify the claim’s authenticity, revealing the falsehood. A police report was filed, leading to their arrest.
The court sentenced them to six months imprisonment, with three months suspended. The remaining three months were suspended on the condition that they complete 105 hours of community service.
