A Mutare nurse has appeared in court for allegedly defrauding Zimnat Life Assurance of US$15,000 by making false insurance claims using the identities of deceased persons.

The accused, Shamiso Esinath Nyamundanda (née Musafari), aged 40, is a state-registered nurse stationed at Bamba Rural Health Clinic in Mutare, Manicaland Province.

Nyamundanda appeared before the Mutare Magistrates Court facing three counts of fraud. She was granted US$300 bail, and the matter was remanded to December 9, 2025, for routine remand.

Prosecutors allege that between August 2022 and July 2025, Nyamundanda fraudulently opened three life assurance policies in the names of deceased individuals and later claimed US$5,000 for each policy, falsely presenting herself as a relative of the deceased.

She allegedly received payouts totalling US$15,000, which were deposited into her personal bank account.

Investigations also revealed that Nyamundanda used forged affidavits bearing her own handwriting and signature to support the fraudulent claims.

The scam was uncovered when a Zimnat Life Assurance manager detected irregularities in the documentation and reported the matter to the police, leading to her arrest.