Mthatha police have arrested a 28-year-old Grahamstown man for allegedly impersonating King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality public safety boss Tshepo Machaea.
The accused allegedly ran a scam promising unsuspecting and desperate job seekers employment as traffic officers for R1500 if they had drivers’ licences and an additional R3500 if they did not.
He is also accused of checking out of bed and breakfast establishments without paying, claiming Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane would pay, and that he had his blessing to recruit traffic officers.
He was nabbed on Wednesday in a police operation following complaints about the scam.
The man cannot be named until he appears in court.
Mthatha police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said the suspect was arrested with identity documents, drivers’ licences and curriculum vitaes of his victims.
Machaea said yesterday he had warned people not to fall victim to the scam when he first heard about it.
“He did not even know I had left the traffic department because he was telling people that he works with me at the provincial traffic department in King William’s Town,” the former Arrive Alive spokesman said.
Qoboshiyane could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.
Man posing as Tshepo Machaea sold jobs as traffic officer
The accused allegedly ran a scam promising unsuspecting and desperate job seekers employment as traffic officers for R1500 if they had drivers’ licences and an additional R3500 if they did not.
He is also accused of checking out of bed and breakfast establishments without paying, claiming Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane would pay, and that he had his blessing to recruit traffic officers.
He was nabbed on Wednesday in a police operation following complaints about the scam.
The man cannot be named until he appears in court.
Mthatha police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said the suspect was arrested with identity documents, drivers’ licences and curriculum vitaes of his victims.
Machaea said yesterday he had warned people not to fall victim to the scam when he first heard about it.
“He did not even know I had left the traffic department because he was telling people that he works with me at the provincial traffic department in King William’s Town,” the former Arrive Alive spokesman said.
Qoboshiyane could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.
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