Zimbabwean woman, Bridget Chiedza, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for stealing church funds to care for her ill mother. Citing financial hardship, she took $118 and 431 Rand from Bethel Church in Bulawayo. The court suspended part of her sentence, offering community service and repayment options.
A 24-year-old Zimbabwean woman, Bridget Chiedza, from Cowdray Park in Bulawayo, has been sentenced to a year in prison for stealing money from her church to help pay for her mother’s medical care.
Chiedza admitted to taking $118 and 431 South African Rand from Bethel Church, where she was a member, citing financial difficulties and her mother's illness as her motivation.
The incident reportedly took place on August 4, 2024, when the church’s secretary, Prisca Moyo, handed Chiedza the funds under the pastor's instructions. When church officials later sought an accounting of the money, Chiedza became unreachable, even blocking church members who tried to contact her. This led to the church filing a complaint, resulting in her arrest.
In court, Chiedza expressed remorse, explaining her desperation due to her mother’s illness and pledging to repay the funds. Taking her circumstances into account, the Western Commonage magistrate, Learnear Khumalo, suspended three months of her sentence on the condition of no further offenses for five years.
Additionally, six months were suspended upon her completion of 210 hours of community service at Cowdray Park Health Services. The final three months of her sentence will be lifted if she repays the money by November 15, 2024.
