Olayiwola Matthew
A 24-year-old woman from Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb, Zimbabwe, Bridget Chiedza, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting to stealing money from Bethel Church.
Chiedza, a church member, confessed to taking US$118 and R431 from the church’s coffers, citing financial hardship and her mother’s illness as the reasons for her actions.
According to reports from B-Metro, the incident occurred on August 4, 2024, when Chiedza was entrusted with the funds by church secretary Prisca Moyo, following the pastor’s instructions. However, when the church later requested the money back for accountability, Chiedza became unreachable and even blocked church members who attempted to contact her. The church reported the matter to the police, which led to her arrest.
In court, Chiedza tearfully pleaded for leniency, explaining that her mother’s illness had driven her to make a desperate choice. “My mother was sick in the rural areas, and I needed money for her treatment,” she told Western Commonage magistrate Learnear Khumalo. Chiedza expressed remorse and offered to repay the stolen funds.
The court took her circumstances into account and imposed a conditional sentence. While she received a 12-month prison term, three months were suspended on the condition of staying crime-free for five years. An additional six months were suspended if she completes 210 hours of community service at Cowdray Park Health Services, and the remaining three months were suspended on the condition that she repays the money by November 15, 2024.