Three members of a crime syndicate were convicted on Tuesday in the Eastern Cape High Court on 255 counts, which include fraud, theft, money laundering and trafficking in persons.

Those convicted were Khaya Honeman Nocanda, a pastor of the Zion Church in Middelburg, Eastern Cape; former Absa Middelburg bank manager Mandisa Merriam Ndletyana; and Pakistani national Muhammad Afzal Yaseen.

They defrauded Absa’s Middelburg branch of more than R1-million by duping 27 victims into using false addresses, cellphone numbers and payslips to apply for credit cards and then stealing money from the credit card accounts.

Seven people were originally charged, but two — Pakistani nationals Shahzad Akmal and Iqbal Zafar — absconded before the trial started, while one, Luzinda Marleze Jooste, died and another, former Absa bank clerk Patricia Pieterse, had a stroke.

False promises

The victims, who were promised jobs, were lured from Noupoort in the Northern Cape, Beaufort West in the Western Cape and Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, which led to the syndicate members being charged with trafficking.

The victims were duped into believing that they needed to open bank accounts at the Absa Middelburg branch into which their future salary payments would be deposited.

They were taken to the offices of the Beyers Naudé Municipality where they were persuaded to obtain false proof of residence documents. They were then given forged salary advice slips and false cellphone numbers at a cellphone shop owned by a Pakistani national.

Luxolo Tyali, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, said, “During the initial stages of the trial, Nocanda, while still out on bail, allegedly attempted to have the investigating officer as well as several witnesses murdered by approaching a traditional healer and enlisting hitmen to commit the murder.

“The plan fortuitously failed and his bail was withdrawn. His case relating to the attempted murder has been remanded for trial to commence in 2024.”  

Incremental withdrawals 

The Beaufort West victims were told that Ndletyana and Pieterse would open cheque accounts for them. While opening bank accounts, the two also processed credit card applications in the victims’ names, using their true identities along with false address information, false cellphone numbers and false income information.

“Upon favourable outcomes of the said credit applications, limits of which ranged between R10,000 and R35,000 per person, Yaseen and members of the enterprise would take control of the cards and would proceed to empty the relevant loan accounts, by way of incremental cash withdrawals. The victims would be compensated with small amounts and transported back to Beaufort West, still jobless. The financial proceeds would be apportioned amongst the enterprise,” Tyali explained.

The Middelburg-based enterprise was operated by Nocanda, a pastor who deceived members of his church into believing that he was able to help them improve their socioeconomic circumstances.

Tyali explained that with the assistance of Ndletyana and Pieterse, Nocanda used the same false documentation as Yaseen to secure credit cards from the Middelburg branch of Absa.

“Once the credit cards were approved, he took control of them, withdrew cash from ATMs, and escorted the victims to a furniture store belonging to another Pakistani member of the enterprise. The victims were offered a choice of any item in the store, up to the value of R5,000 per person.

“Nocanda would then pay for these items with the proceeds of the fraudulent activity, thus laundering the money through the business of the enterprise. The members of the enterprise would share the remaining spoils amongst themselves,” he said.

The pastor was also part of the enterprise that defrauded people in Noupoort, Northern Cape, using the same scam.   

Yaseen was found guilty of participating in the affairs of a criminal enterprise, racketeering, 17 counts of trafficking in persons, 49 counts of fraud and 14 counts of theft.

Nocanda was convicted of contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, racketeering, fraud, theft, money laundering and the acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities.

Ndletyana was convicted of racketeering and fraud.

Sentencing will commence on 22 January. DM