Entrepreneurship program fraud at Bushbuckridge municipality, woman re-arrested

South African Police Service

Entrepreneurship program fraud at Bushbuckridge municipality, woman re-arrested
Entrepreneurship program fraud at Bushbuckridge municipality, woman re-arrested

Palesa Maje (25) was remanded in custody by the Nelspruit Commercial Crime Court on Monday 3 May 2021, after she was re-arrested by members of the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation Mpumalanga on Sunday at Honeydew informal settlement in Gauteng Province for fraud.

The arrest followed her failure to appear before court on several occasions after she was released on bail for fraud matters.

It is alleged that around 2017 Maje and her boyfriend Bongani Sibuyi decided to start an entrepreneurship program at Bushbuckridge municipality. They invited unemployed youth to be part of the program. The interested youth applied and they were interviewed and more than 350 qualifying learners were told to pay administration fee of R250-00 each to the bank account of the unregistered company belonging to the two accused.

The learners were promised that they will receive R3000 monthly stipend.

After payments the program never materialized, the two accused disappeared and left learners stranded. The victims tried all means to locate the suspects with no success. The matter was reported to the Hawks and investigation led to the arrest of the two accused and they were later released on bail.

Maje absconded court and warrant of arrest was issued twice against her, hence the arrest. She will join her co-accused back in Court on the 7 May 2021.

SAPS Newsroom

SOURCESouth African Police Service