Zim man found guilty of passport fraud

Lebogang Mosikare | Monday November 2, 2015 15:57

 

Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi said that the state proved its case against the accused, Simbarashe Mafumo, beyond reasonable doubt. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Mafumo was found guilty of obtaining a passport by false pretences on November 8, 2007 at the offices of Civil and National Registration in Francistown.

Basupi said that the first prosecution witness, Kgomotso Sedimo, said that he received application forms bearing the names of Simon Musa while being employed as principal registration officer at the offices of Civil and National Registration in Francistown. “The forms were accompanied by declaration of birth bearing the names of Musa but had photos of Mafumo,” said Basupi.

The magistrate further said that Mafumo said that he was the son of Joyce Mpofu who lived in the United States of America but Judith Mpofu, who is Joyce’s elder sister, disputed his version.

“Judith said that her sister had no child when she relocated to the USA. Judith further said that Mafumo was not her sister’s son. Thusego Segabo, the accused’s former girlfriend, knew him as Simbarashe Mafumo. She said that the accused gave her a receipt to go and collect a passport but the passport bore the names of Musa Simon and Mafumo’s photo. She said that agents of the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) later approached her. The accused was later warned and cautioned of the offence,” said Basupi.

He added that the age difference of Mafumo and her purported mother Joyce is 11 years which if it was true, made Joyce one of the youngest mothers in the world at that time. Basupi further stated that Segabo said that she used to visit the accused’s parents in Zimbabwe when they were still in love and his name was Simbarashe Mafumo.

“In all the circumstances there is no dispute that Mafumo’s parents are in Zimbabwe. After carefully analysing the evidence, I find that Joyce is not the accused’s mother. It is also strange that Judith, who is Joyce’s elder sister, does not know the accused. In the premises, I find that the accused has dismally failed to prove that he is a Motswana who comes from Natale village just like Judith and her siblings,” said Basupi.

The magistrate added that he found it strange that the headman of Natale said that Mafumo is from Natale while he is not known by anybody from that village.

“…It is unfortunate that the accused failed to call his neighbours, teachers, former classmates and other people to come and testify that he was indeed born in Natale and was a citizen of this country, Basupi said in his ruling.

Mafumo will appear in court on November 6.