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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A chairperson of a housing co-operative allegedly forged 239 signatures of fellow members to obtain a registration certificate from the Co-operative Societies of Zimbabwe.Sikumbuzo Munyawarara (45), the chairperson of Hillarious Housing Co-operative, allegedly forged the signatures in their by-laws booklet following a disagreement with the 239 members after they refused to sign.

A by-law is a rule that an organisation such as a club or company makes and that its members must follow.

Munyawarara appeared before a Mbare magistrate last week charged with fraud.

She was remanded to January 29 on $100 bail.

It is the State’s case that Munyawarara as the chairperson wanted other members to sign the by-laws booklet in which she had drafted the dos and don’ts.

The court heard that she had a misunderstanding with fellow members after they challenged her on some of the rules and they refused to sign.

Munyawarara then forged signatures of the members and signed the booklet.

Using the booklet with the fake signatures, the court heard that Munyawarara went to register the co-operative with the Co-operative Societies of Zimbabwe.

She then obtained a registration certificate, the State alleged.

On October 7 last year, police detectives received information from Edwin Ringwa that Munyawarara had forged signatures in order to obtain a registration certificate.

The detectives then proceeded to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies of Zimbabwe and requested for Hillarious Co-operative’s file.

That is when the offence was unearthed leading to her arrest.