Bulawayo Correspondent

A Harare based nurse who was employed at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBC) was on Thursday sentenced to 12 months in prison for forging certificates.

Bulawayo regional magistrate, Lesigo Ngwenya found Rutendo Matope guilty of the offence.

He suspended two years and substituted the remaining 10 months for 350 hours of community service at Yemurai primary school in Harare.

In arriving at the judgement, magistrate Ngwenya said he had taken into account that Matope had lost her job and that she had two minor children to look after.

According to the State, represented by Leonard Tshile, “on a date unknown to the State but sometime in September 2014 at Chitungwiza Central Hospital, Matope unlawfully and with intent to gain employment and admission of learning, presented forged ordinary “O” level certificates to a prospective employer at Chitungwiza Central Hospital knowing that there is a real risk or possibility that the certificate was forged”.

“On the 27th of May 2019 at around 1000 hours, the complainant was approached by members of the Public Service Commission wanting to check her Zim Sec Ordinary level certificate. The accused’s O’ level was checked and her name did not appear in the system. It was discovered that it was forged,” Tshile told the court.

The complainant was advised by the Public Service Commission (PSC) that the accused was working as a general nurse since the 25th of April 2019 at UBH.