Tshwane urges residents to be wary of scammers claiming they can help clear municipal debts
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Tshwane has urged residents to be wary of scammers who claim that they can help them clear their municipal debts.
This comes after some city officials illegally transferred about R11 million into fraudulent municipal accounts.
The metro's officials have since been arrested for their criminal activities.
A former director and accountant, Tienka Abbort, who was a part of the scheme, was also apprehended and appeared at the Pretoria Magistrates Court earlier this week.
"Abbort's identity is disclosed, as she has now appeared in court and the city is compelled to alert customers who may still be targeted in further attempts to perpetuate this scam," said Tshwane spokesperson Linela Mashigo.
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Next Stay Close ✕ At the time, the city said the third employee had evaded arrest by hospitalising himself after learning of the impending police action. The alleged scheme involved collusion between city officials and the public to manipulate user debit balances by transferring funds into municipal accounts controlled by the syndicate. 'The employees would collect what the user had intended to pay and, instead of paying that amount into the city's account, the user's account would be credited through the fraudulent transfer of the debit balance into the ghost account. They would then pocket the amount that the user had intended to pay,' the city said. This week, municipal spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, said Abbort, a former director and accountant, who had been evading arrest, was finally apprehended after an intensive tracing operation led by the city's Forensic Services Division, in collaboration with Lyttleton SAPS. During her court appearance, Abbort applied for bail of R5,000, which was opposed by the National Prosecuting Authority, who requested bail be set at R200,000. The court ultimately granted Abbort bail of R50,000 with strict conditions, which include surrendering her travel documents, reporting twice weekly to her nearest police station, and residing at her current address unless she notifies the investigating officer. The investigation is ongoing, and the city said it will now probe potential collusion between Abbort and the account holders who benefited from the unauthorised transfers. Mashigo said the city's Revenue Management Division is reviewing the affected accounts and will initiate reversals where necessary. He warned residents to be vigilant against individuals or groups posing as agents claiming to 'clear' municipal debt, stating that these schemes are fraudulent and may result in criminal charges and financial loss. Residents in debt are encouraged to visit one of the city's customer care walk-in centres to make legitimate and sustainable arrangements. City Manager Johann Mettler praised the Forensic Services Division team for their outstanding work in combating corruption within the city, highlighting their commitment to identifying and reporting criminal conduct and ensuring accountability. He also called for forensic investigators to be designated as peace officers under the Criminal Procedure Act, stating that this would enhance the city's capacity to act decisively and in real-time against financial crime. 'We believe the city's fight against financial crime would be significantly strengthened by designating forensic investigators as peace officers under the Criminal Procedure Act, a move that could enhance our capacity to act decisively and in real time,' he said.
