NELSPRUIT – A quick thinking 42-year-old lady alerted police on a suspicious conman who was trying his luck yesterday, Monday 19 December 2022 in Balfour.
His moves were thrown under the bus as the victim outsmarted his reasoning capacity and never panicked, but professionally brought the police to her rescue.
A conman who pretended to be a traditional healer from Uganda tried to prey on the victim under the suspicions of looking for directions. Unaware of his intentions, the victim offered to assist him and gave him directions to Balfour. As a token of appreciation the suspect in return offered the victim a ride to Balfour that is when all hell broke loose when they exchanged contact numbers.
The two are said to have started contacting each other, and as their communication gained momentum, the suspect ended up visiting the victim at her residential place. It is when the suspect overheard the victim and her friends talking about the dividends of their hard earned Stokvel savings.
It is alleged that the suspect then told her that they need to go to the mountain so that he can pray for the money and thereafter they must take it to the river to cleanse it. It is further said that the alleged conman maintained his trustworthiness throughout.
He came back with a box full of some blank notes and then asked the victim to bring him boiled water. It is indicated that the alleged conman then put three money sized blank paper notes inside the boiled water and sprinkled some powder onto the blank money sized blank papers. The papers turned and looked like real South African bank notes. The victim smelled a rat and quickly alerted the police who responded and the suspect was found at the victim’s house.
An investigation was launched and upon searching his belongings, police found a box with blank notes that resembles South African Bank notes inside his car. The investigation revealed that some of well-cut paper fitting the size of money were found wrapped with real 100 rands Bank notes.
The suspect was arrested and charged for fraud and will be appearing before the Balfour Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, 21 December 2022.
Police cannot rule out the possibility of adding more charges of contravening the Immigration Act against the suspect.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga Mpumalanga Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcome the manner in which the matter was handled. “Perpetrators of crime must take note that the province of Mpumalanga will never be allowed to be a playground for dirty deals” commented the General.

Source: South African Police Service