A former treasurer of the Seventh Day Adventist Church has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing church tithes.
On Wednesday, the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Lady Memory Mutsika, 43, from Zimbabwe, for 128 counts of theft.
Mutsika was a treasurer of the Pretoria City church and her responsibilities included transferring tithe and offering money deposited to the church account to the Northern Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), during a period from 2012 to 2015, Mutsika transferred more than R800,000 of the money received from the tithe and offerings to her bank account and for her personal use.
"In court, she pleaded guilty to the charges and asked for a non-custodial sentence to pay the church back the money over five years. However, the state argued that Mutsika always indicated her willingness to pay back the money and has not paid back a single cent since March 2022, after she was convicted," said NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
The magistrate agreed with the state and said Mutsika showed no remorse.
According to the state, Mutsika stopped stealing not because of her conscience, but because she was caught. The church placed her in a position of trust, but she betrayed that trust.
The magistrate further said that he viewed Mutsika’s claimed willingness to pay back the money as a bargaining tool and as a ticket to keep her out of prison. Therefore, a sentence of imprisonment was appropriate and criminal conduct has consequences.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.