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Fungai Jachi Court Reporter
In a bizarre case, a city woman allegedly targeted treasurers from different churches by smearing faeces on their clothes and then offering to help them clean up the mess, and then steal from them, a Mbare magistrate’s court heard yesterday.

Ferbie Warikandwa (25) of number 20 Selsey, Waterfalls appeared before Mbare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, charged with three counts of theft. Mr Mambanje remanded her to June 23 for trial on $50 bail.

As part of her bail conditions, she was ordered not to interfere with witnesses and to reside at the address she gave to the police.

The prosecutor Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe, alleges that on May 26, Warikandwa went to a church service at the Seventh-Day Adventist at Machipisa Shopping Centre in Highfield and sat beside Merjury Maturure.

The court heard that after some minutes, Warikandwa told Maturure that she had faeces on her clothes.

It is alleged that Warikandwa offered to help Maturure to clean her clothes and the two proceeded to the toilet together.

Maturure left her handbag where the two were sitting.

The court heard that Warikandwa then left Maturure in the toilet and she went back to where they were sitting and stole Maturure’s wallet that contained $480 and R180, which was tithing money.

In the second count, Warikandwa went to a Methodist Church gathering in Cranborne and sat next to Getrude Matongera who is the church treasurer and stole her wallet and envelope which contained $100 and $112, respectively.

In the third count, Warikandwa went to a Seventh Day Adventist church gathering in Cranborne and sat next to Fadzai Mutanga who is also a church treasurer.

Allegations are that Warikandwa spread human waste on Mutanga’s dress. The court heard that Warikandwa offered to help Mutanga to clean her dress and they went to Mutanga’s friend’s house.

It is alleged that upon arrival, Mutanga started to clean her dress with the help of Warikandwa.

It is the State’s case that Mutanga left her mobile phone with Warikandwa as she had gone in the toilet and when she returned, Warikandwa had disappeared.