Botho Molosankwe
SOWETO residents who were duped into giving a police reservist thousands of rand in a bid to secure a job in the SAPS are unaware that the case has been provisionally withdrawn.
The victims, who last went to court on October 3 to hear the case against former reservist Nthabiseng Khoalihlapa, said that when the case was postponed, they were not given a return date.
However, when they approached the prosecutor, he told them that he would let them know when the case returns to the Orlando Magistrate’s Court, but did not explain why.
But provincial police spokesman Colonel Tshisikhawe Ndou told The Star that the matter had been taken off the roll for the time being.
“The case has been provisionally withdrawn pending a handwritten specialist report,” he said, but refused to give more information regarding the investigation.
Ndou also said he did not know when the case would be back in court, except that it would return only after the required information from the specialists had been obtained.
While Ndou stated this on Tuesday, some of Khoalihlapa’s victims were on Monday in the dark about this new development. They were under the impression that the case had been postponed and that it would come to court very soon.
Khoalihlapa is alleged to have conned unsuspecting and desperate Soweto residents into giving her amounts ranging from R3 000 to R5 000, with promises of placing them in the SAPS.
One of Khoalihlapa’s victims, Lerato Mogano, said some meetings with Khoalihlapa used to be held at the police station.
None of them knew that she was a reservist, as she was always in full uniform, and seemingly had the go-ahead to use the police station’s premises.
Mogano said she paid R5 000 as she was attracted by the prospect of having a permanent government job that had benefits.
“She said the money would be taken to a captain in recruitment, who would ensure that we get space in the training academy,” the 30-year-old woman said.
One of Khoalihlapa’s victim’s mothers, Portia Simango, said she paid a total of R15 000 for her daughter Boitumelo
However, Simango said, Khoalihlapa always had excuses when she had to send everyone for training in Pretoria. She is alleged to have once said she was ill, and the other time said police chief Bheki Cele had called her and told her not to send the new recruits yet.
One day in May, everyone arrived at her house as they were due to leave for Pretoria that day for training.
Excited parents had accompanied their children and had been at Khoalihlapa’s house since 3am, waiting for the bus to take everyone to Pretoria at 5am.
Then Khoalihlapa allegedly feigned an illness, but people were not falling for that and demanded answers.
Simango, who was also there, said Khoalihlapa took them to the Protea Glen police station, seemingly to an officer who had been taking the money. When that officer was told the story by the angry crowd, he immediately arrested Khoalihlapa.
“It was also found that she had conned people out of R84 000, but she was later released on free bail,” said Simango.
The lives of many of those involved have changed drastically.
Boitumelo tried to commit suicide as she could not take the disappointment.
“She drank paraffin and also overdosed on pills. When that did not work, she went to the train station with the hope of being hit by a train. Luckily for us it was a Sunday, and the train never came,” Simango said.
Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, could not comment by the time of publication.