A woman who tried to enrol at a nursing school by impersonating the wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was on Thursday sentenced to 420 hours of community service by a Harare court.
Rosemary Chakacha (24) phoned a matron at a Harare hospital on September 13 last year, saying she was Grace Mugabe and that she was sending two girls to be enrolled immediately in the hospital’s nursing school.
Chakacha and a friend later went to the hospital and told the matron they were the women sent by Mugabe’s wife.
The matron processed their application papers and promised to contact them when the hospital next recruited trainee nurses.
Chakacha refused to go, insisting there were vacancies at the nursing school, prosecutor Obi Mabahwana said, and the matron reported her to the hospital authorities.
The hospital’s superintendent called Mugabe’s office and the First Lady denied making such a call.
Magistrate Sandra Nhau convicted Chakacha for fraud and sentenced her to 18 months, six of which were suspended for five years and the remainder set aside on condition that she works for 420 hours at a clinic.
Chakacha has opted for community service. – Sapa-AFP