By Thokozani Mazibuko
A 26-year-old man was sentenced to eight years imprisonment with an option of E10 000 fine for defrauding a woman a sum of E4 070 by purchasing her pigs using a fake e-Wallet.
Phila Shongwe of the Ludzeludze area, who was initially arrested alongside Taphiwa Gondwe (26) of the Ngwane Park area, however, ended up being cautioned and discharged, was charged with theft by false pretences.
The duo appeared at the Manzini Magistrates Court before Principal Magistrate Florence Msibi on Friday.
They are said to have committed the offence on June 13, 2024, in the Nhlambeni area.
According to the charge sheet, Shongwe, acting jointly in furtherance of a common purpose, were accused of wrongfully and unlawfully and with intent to defraud and to steal,
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misrepresenting themselves to Hlengiwe Motsa by sending a fake FNB e-Wallet message promising to pay her a sum of E4 070, which was invalid and thus did commit the said cited crime.
They both pleaded guilty when the charge was read to them.
The Crown accepted their pleas without leading evidence to prove the commission of the offence.
They were therefore found guilty as per their own pleas.
Shongwe mitigated for a lenient sentence since he was not employed, yet he had children to support.
“I got tempted to commit this offence, may the court be lenient with me,” he said.
Gondwe mentioned that he only accompanied Shongwe without knowing that he was going to use a fake e-Wallet to pay for the pigs.
He further mentioned that he just pleaded guilty to the offence because at the police station, they were jointly charged with Shongwe.
He, therefore, pleaded with the court to be lenient with him when passing sentence, while also stating that he was not employed.
Gondwe was cautioned and discharged.
Shongwe on the other hand, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment with an option of E10 000 fine.
An additional sentence of two years without an option of a fine was also given to him, however, it was suspended for a period of three years on condition that he is not found to have committed a similar offence within that same period.
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Meanwhile, the duo is said to have approached Motsa and offered to purchase an undisclosed number of her pigs.
They are said to have promised her that they will use e-Wallet when paying for the pigs, however, they ended up sending her a fake e-Wallet to her.
When Motsa went to the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to withdraw the money, she discovered that the e-Wallet, they sent her was invalid.
She then reported the matter to the police, who managed to track Shongwe and Gondwe until they found them and later arrested them.
However, by the time they were apprehended, they had already slaughtered the pigs.
