×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Nurse in court for fraud

News
A State-registered nurse employed by Kwekwe City Council recently appeared in court facing three charges of fraud, operating two unlicenced private clinics and contravening the Labour Act after she failed to pay her 21 clinic employees.

A State-registered nurse employed by Kwekwe City Council recently appeared in court facing three charges of fraud, operating two unlicenced private clinics and contravening the Labour Act after she failed to pay her 21 clinic employees. REPORT BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Clara Cheneso Mumbire, who is stationed at Mbizo Section 11 Clinic, pleaded guilty to operating unlicenced clinics and failing to pay her employees when she briefly appeared before magistrate Taurai Manwere recently.

She, however, denied charges of defrauding her workers of $2 000 after she allegedly claimed she could facilitate their vetting by police and production of their medical certificates.

The court remanded her out of custody to January 15 for trial.

Mumbire is being represented by Kwekwe lawyer Charles Chigomere. The State alleged that Mumbire acted fraudulently by misrepresenting to her 21 employees at the clinics that she could secure them formal employment and demanded $80 from each of them to facilitate the vetting procedures.

She later allegedly converted the money to her own use without taking their documents to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters for vetting and Kwekwe General Hospital for medical certificates.

It is alleged that she took only one copy of the employees’ fingerprints instead of three copies and used stamp pad ink which is not recommended for fingerprint recording.

She also allegedly took their urine, blood pressure and blood samples and carried pregnancy tests using equipment at Zhombe Medical Clinic and did not take them to the hospital.

She was arrested after the workers reported her to police.

The State also alleged Mumbire operated two clinics, Medical Centre at Joel Business Centre and at Empress Totororo area in Zhombe, without authority from Zibagwe Rural District Council between July and October last year.

The offence was discovered by police during routine checks of the clinics’ operations.

Mumbire is also accused of having failed to pay her employees their salaries forcing them to report the matter at Kwekwe Central Police Station in August. The matter was subsequently referred to the Labour ministry in Kwekwe and later to the police in Zhombe after she failed to honour her promise to pay them on the agreed date, leading to her arrest.

Salome Maunganidze prosecuted.