The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
IN a shocking revelation, two Roman Catholic nuns based in Hwange District are under investigation by the police after they teamed up with their friends and swindled hundreds of unsuspecting residents of their money in a botched pyramid scheme under the guise of cushioning them against the effects of Covid-19.
This came to light after hundreds of people, at the beginning of this month besieged St Ignatius Catholic Church Convent baying for the blood of nuns whom they accused of running a pyramid scheme that has since collapsed.
Police had to be called in to disperse the angry crowd. It is said people were asked to invest US$20 and promised returns of up to US$280 in one week, after they recruited more members to the scheme.
Sunday News understands that the botched pyramid scheme was allegedly run by Sisters Vaida Mudenda and Leadlove Muleya of St Ignatius Convent Hwange and their friends, Ms Elezia Tshuma and Patricia Tshuma both from Lwendulu Village.
The gang conceived a pyramid scheme which was termed a “Flower” under the guise that it was a way of cushioning people left vulnerable by Covid-19.
However, the scheme collapsed and disgruntled residents are now demanding their investments and premiums, to no avail.
It is understood that after the demonstration, police picked the four for questioning but were later released.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Sibanda confirmed the incident yesterday and said police were still carrying out investigations on the issue.
“I can confirm that on 5 of March 2021 police received a report to the effect that some Hwange residents had staged a protest against leaders of a money pyramid scheme code named Flower. Investigations are still in progress and as police we are kindly imploring our citizens to avoid taking chances by joining the money-spinning schemes as most of the principals have been profiteering at the mercy of the unsuspecting would-be beneficiaries. The schemes are a game of chance,” said Insp Banda.
Sunday News tracked some of the disgruntled “beneficiaries” and they accused the nuns and their friends of siphoning money from them while promising them huge returns. The residents said the four allegedly recruited residents particularly women and urged them to seed money into the fund with a promise of quick returns within a week. Under the scheme, the recruited members were also supposed to solicit for two other members to join following contribution of the specified amount to the group administrators.
“Some sisters from the Roman Catholic Church started a money-spinning scheme in January during the lockdown in which they were the administrators. The four went on to form individual groups, which they packed with their friends and relatives who later became the ultimate beneficiaries.
Under the scheme a member would also in turn recruit two other members to join by contributing the same amount they would have paid to the group administrators. Riding on the promise of premium returns after a week the scheme attracted a lot of unsuspecting people who are now crying foul after being duped of their hard-earned foreign currency,” said a resident who asked not to be named.
The nun run pyramid scheme’s recruitment is said to have swelled to more than 500 members before it collapsed. A disgruntled victim, Ms Nomalanga Shoko said she was manipulated by a friend into joining the scheme.
“A friend introduced me to the scheme after telling me that it was assisting many women like myself to overcome economic situations as a result of the lockdown. I parted with US$20 that I was keeping for emergencies after being promised a windfall of US$280. There was also no reason for me to suspect otherwise as I was manipulated into believing that since it was being run by catholic sisters it was an honest initiative.
However, when I realised that the week passed without any returns, I approached the group administrators who promised to pay me my premium while I also recruited two more people to contribute the same amount. Several attempts to recover my money failed as I was always given excuses and that’s when I learnt that I was not the only one who had been scammed,” she said.
Efforts to get a comment from the nuns were fruitless.
