Zimbabwe: Cameroonians fined for illegal birth certificates ⁰

Four Cameroonian nationals have been ordered to pay US$400 each in fines after they pleaded guilty of providing false information to obtain Zimbabwean birth certificates.

Christiana Boyembe Dumba (39), Emile MuyaMuya (23), Tegha Marvel Ngei (28) and Yvette KumNnam (24) pleaded guilty before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo of contravening the Births and Deaths Registration Act.

The ruling was delivered after submissions from both the State represented by Nomsa Kangara and the Cameroonians’ defence lawyer Tinashe Mbale.

In mitigation, Mbale argued that the court should consider a fine as an appropriate penalty, emphasising that the quartet had already spent five months in remand prison.

He highlighted that two of his clients were recent graduates while the others were a nurse and a teacher.

In aggravation, prosecutor Kangara argued that the crime posed a serious threat to national security.

She further argued that the four’s real intentions for acquiring the fraudulent identification documents remained unclear.

Kangara further stated that such offences undermine trust in government institutions and can compromise the accuracy of national data, potentially affecting the effectiveness of government programmes.

The court established that in August 2024, the four conspired to fraudulently obtain Zimbabwean identification documents, including birth certificates.

They sought the assistance of Tawanda Waniwa, an employee at the Registrar General’s Department at the Mount Darwin branch.

Waniwa facilitated the issuance of the fraudulent birth certificates.

Dumba claimed that her name was Christiana Mhereyenyoka, born in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.

She provided her place of residence as Arcadia village, Mt Darwin Scheme and said her mother was Mwaiyadi Chipo of the same village.

MuyaMuya falsely stated that his name was Emile Chingwaru and claimed to be Zimbabwean by birth.

He listed his birthplace was Makonde, Mount Darwin and his place of residence as Matare village, under Chief Magonde in Mount Darwin.

Ngei claimed that her name was Marvel Chimbwanda, born in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, Zimbabwe. She alleged that her place of residence was Village 2, Huyuyu Extension, Mutoko and named her mother as Grace Chimbwanda.

KumNnam stated that her name was Yvette Maini, born at Nembire Clinic, Mt Darwin.

She claimed to reside at 371 New Pfura Location in Mt Darwin.

Between August 27, 2024 and September 4, 2024, the accused obtained fraudulent birth certificates bearing false Zimbabwean names and details.

The fraudulent birth certificates and national identity cards were recovered and submitted as evidence in court.

Last year, the accused were found guilty of entering Zimbabwe without permits and using fraudulently obtained passports by a Beitbridge court.

They were warned, discharged and ordered to be deported by the relevant authority.

Source: Newsday