A 40-year-old nurse from Mutare, Zimbabwe, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Zimnat Life Assurance of $15,000 by using the identities of deceased individuals to claim life insurance benefits.
The accused, Shamiso Esinath Nyamundanda (née Musafari), who works at Bamba Rural Health Clinic, appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on three counts of fraud.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, between August 2022 and July 2025, Nyamundanda allegedly opened three life insurance policies under the names of deceased persons, claiming $5,000 for each. She reportedly forged affidavits in her handwriting and posed as a relative of the deceased.
The fraud came to light after an assurance manager detected irregularities in the documents and alerted the police. Investigations showed that the full $15,000 payout had been deposited directly into Nyamundanda’s bank account.
She was granted $300 bail and is due back in court on December 9, 2025, for a routine remand.
Authorities have since warned that such fraudulent acts erode public confidence and harm genuine policyholders. They stressed that professionals who exploit their positions of trust for personal gain will face strict legal consequences.
This case follows a rise in insurance fraud across Zimbabwe. In June 2024, Sylvester Rusere, 36, from Hopely, was fined $400 and handed a suspended three-month jail term for fabricating a fictitious daughter’s death to claim EcoSure funeral benefits.
