Thursday, November 13, 2025 - A 40-year-old registered nurse from Mutare, Zimbabwe, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Zimnat Life Assurance of USD15,000 by claiming life insurance benefits using the identities of deceased individuals.
The accused, Shamiso Esinath Nyamundanda (née Musafari), who
works at Bamba Rural Health Clinic, appeared before the Harare Magistrates’
Court facing three counts of fraud.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe,
between August 2022 and July 2025, Nyamundanda opened three life insurance
policies in the names of deceased persons and claimed USD5,000 per policy. She
allegedly submitted forged affidavits in her handwriting, falsely presenting
herself as a relative of the deceased.
The fraud was uncovered after an assurance manager noticed
irregularities in the submitted documents and alerted the police.
Investigations revealed that the total payouts, amounting to USD15,000, had
been deposited directly into Nyamundanda’s bank account.
She was granted USD300 bail and is expected to return to
court on December 9, 2025, for routine remand.
Insurance authorities have warned that fraudulent activities
such as this undermine public trust and disadvantage genuine policyholders.
They emphasized that professionals who abuse their positions of trust for
personal gain will face the full weight of the law.
The case comes amid a growing number of insurance fraud
incidents in Zimbabwe. In a separate case in June 2024, Sylvester Rusere, 36,
from Hopely, was fined USD400 after fabricating a fictitious daughter and
falsely reporting her death to claim EcoSure funeral benefits. He was also
given a three-month suspended sentence, with the court warning he would face
imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.
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