A 40-year-old suspect is due to appear before the Bushbuckridge Magistrates’ Court on 23 February 2022 after he was arrested by the Mpumalanga Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation at Medupi power station in Lephalale, Limpopo province for theft and corruption.
It is alleged that the suspect impersonated an official from the Department of Health conducting a recruitment drive, reaching out to gatherings like churches and other places where he could find unemployed youth in numbers.
He also hired two females who could go around recruiting and promising people enrolment at the Nursing Training College which would guarantee employment at the Department of Health. The two females were arrested on 10 May 2021 and appeared in the Bushbuckridge Magistrates’ Court. They were released on bail and the case was postponed to 31 March 2022.
The bogus recruiters demanded money for enrolment from all the prospective nursing trainees. More than 75 unemployed youth paid the money into the suspects’ accounts in 2016 and 2017 totaling to R610 000, 00.
The victims were never employed as promised.
The matter was reported to the Hawks in 2018 and investigation revealed that the suspects were not the employees of any department. The suspect will be later joined with the co-accused.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Zodwa Mokoena applauded the team for the courage to pursue the suspect who was hiding in Limpopo. She further warned the public not to be deceived by anyone who will be demanding money promising them employments.
