The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation welcomes the sentence handed down to Nomfundo Petronella Sambo, (32) when she appeared the Nelspruit Regional Court on Tuesday 29 September 2020. Sambo will serve an effective seven years direct imprisonment after she pleaded guilty on all charges on 5 August this year.
These charges included concealing her the real identity and using a pseudo names of “Thandeka Mabuza” and masquerading as the Deputy President’s niece, for which she was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
The court also found her guilty for opening a false kidnapping, theft and robbery case at Low’s Creek SAPS, where she claimed that she lost a work laptop and R4, 000 in cash and for this she was sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
A further six years imprisonment was imposed on her for a fraudulent purchase of furniture valued at of R28000 at Russells, Hazeview.
Sambo made a startling false allegations in an affidavit that Deputy President David Mabuza was, on 5 November 2018, conspiring to murder an ecotourism business person.
The incident is purported to have happened in the police precinct of Sandton, which resulted in the opening of a criminal docket at Sandton Police Station.
The Hawks investigation later found that the Deputy President was not in the country at the time of the offence. It became clear that the statement may not have been truthful but a possible fabrication, including her relationship with the Deputy President.
Sambo was arrested in March 2019 and later released on R3000 bail, however her bail was withdrawn when she did not attend the subsequent court appearances and she remained in police custody until her sentencing.
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