Two Ugandan nationals have been arrested for alleged fraud following an incident in which a Gauteng woman was reportedly coerced into withdrawing her pension funds.
Nasifu Besigye, 39, and Laban Mucwa, 53, were taken into custody on Saturday, 28 March 2026, by members of the Mahikeng-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, the Mahikeng Tactical Response Team (TRT), and the Mahikeng Flying Squad.
According to police reports, authorities received information about a woman from Gauteng who was allegedly being held against her will in Mmabatho with the intention of forcing her to withdraw all her pension money. Officers operationalized the intelligence and proceeded to the address where the victim was reportedly being kept.
Upon arrival, police raided the location and found the victim in the presence of the two male suspects. Investigators allege that the victim had been lured to Mmabatho by her boyfriend, Laban Mucwa, whom she met on Facebook. Once there, she was reportedly taken to a house where Mucwa instructed her to speak to her ancestors in a prayer room under the pretense that her pension money would be doubled.
The victim subsequently went to a bank, withdrew R1 million, and handed the money over to her boyfriend, according to police reports.
The accused appeared before the Mmabatho Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 30 March 2026, where they were remanded in custody. The case was postponed to 31 March 2026 to allow for the services of an interpreter.
