Two suspected female thieves appeared before a court on Saturday on allegations of preying on unsuspecting worshippers at various churches in the city and stealing handbags, mobile phones, laptops, and Bibles.

Violet Jaure, 27 and Maria Kawa, 35, both of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to today for bail ruling, reports Bulawayo24.

It is the State’s case on May 20 this year, Jaure and Kawa went to a Roman Catholic Church along Wessex Road, Mabelreign in Harare and snatched Lois Mushonga’s handbag containing goods worth $1 000. Mushonga reported the matter at Mabelreign Police Station.

On May 27, the accused entered a Salvation Army Church building in Mabelreign pretending to be genuine worshippers and stole several handbags from a group of female congregants, who were on choral music practice.

The congregants allegedly lost Bibles, mobile phones and laptops, among other things, and filed a police report.

On June 1, police raided Jaure’s house following a tip-off and recovered some of the alleged stolen handbags.

Jaure later implicated Kawa, leading to the recovery of some of the stolen items including Bibles.

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