Harare Woman in Court Over Alleged US$2,000 Fake Pregnancy Fraud

A woman from Harare has appeared in court facing allegations of defrauding a businessman of US$2,000 after falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child.

Talent “Bhabhidho” Kwenda appeared before magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai, accused of deceiving the complainant into providing financial support for a pregnancy that allegedly never existed.

According to court documents, Kwenda was involved in an extramarital relationship with businessman Pax Jemwa, which reportedly began around February last year. During the course of the affair, she allegedly told Jemwa she was pregnant and began requesting money for her upkeep. Trusting her claims, Jemwa is said to have provided ongoing financial assistance throughout the supposed pregnancy.

The matter reportedly escalated in December when Kwenda informed Jemwa that she had given birth to a baby boy named Ronald. However, when he asked to see the child, she allegedly offered repeated excuses while continuing to request money.

Doubts began to surface after Jemwa was alerted by a third party that Kwenda had never been pregnant. When he stopped providing financial support and confronted her, she allegedly threatened to expose their affair to his wife.

Concerned about potential reputational damage, Jemwa reported the case to the police, leading to Kwenda’s arrest.

Investigations have since suggested that Kwenda may have employed a similar scheme on another individual, allegedly claiming to have given birth to twins and demanding maintenance payments.