Staff Reporter
The Welkom Magistrates Court has sentenced 27-year-old Sophia Maya after she was convicted of unfair business practice and fraud.
In July 2020, the woman pretended to be a traditional healer to Ernesto Mangoele, 60, and asked him to bring all his money to her so she could “make” him rich.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Botsile Lefenya sentenced Sophia to 15 years in prison for unfair business practice, 10 years for fraud, four years for Contravention of the Immigration Act and 12 months for defeating the end of justice.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said Mangoele, who was a miner, met Lisa Maya, a sister to Sophia, while she was distributing traditional healing pamphlets in the Welkom CBD.
“The two later started a relationship and Lisa took Mangoele to Sophia to introduce him as her boyfriend,” Shuping said in a statement.
“Sophia promised to make Mangoele rich if he can bring all the money he has to her.
“Mangoele brought R15 000 to Sophia but she told him to bring all the money he had.”
Mangoele resigned from the mine and was paid R955 000 as his provident fund.
Between September and November 2020, he withdrew all the money in instalments of between R20 000 and R200 000.
He was accompanied by either Lisa or Sophia every time he went to the bank.
“Sophia and Lisa disappeared after getting all the money, and Mangoele went to report a case to the police when he realised that he was defrauded,” Shuping said.
“Thorough police investigation led to the arrest of Sophia in January 2021 but Lisa is still at large.
“In her defence, Sophia told the court that she knew nothing about the R955 000 but she only knew about R80 000 that was paid by Mangoele as lobola for Lisa.”
State prosecutor Advocate Edwin Munyai argued in court that Sophia and Lisa took advantage of Mangoele and defrauded him of his money which he was supposed to live on during retirement.
Said Munyai: “The accused took advantage of the complainant in the worst possible way because they instructed him to resign and take his provident fund which he saved for 30 years.
“He is now unemployed with no source of income and it’s not only him who is suffering, but his children as well.
“The accused deserve heavy punishment.”
Sophia will effectively serve 15 years imprisonment after the magistrate ordered the sentences to run concurrently.