By Bahle Gama
A woman arrested in connection with the Facata scams has alluded that unemployment had her ‘kicking it’ with the wrong people that landed her behind bars.
Facata suspect Bongiwe Dlamini is amongst four others who were arrested and charged with 21 counts of contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, Money Laundering Act and theft under false pretence respectively.
In her bail application, the 36-year-old told the court that in early January this year, she moved to Manzini seeking employment and met Phumlani Mabuza and Nqaba Motsa who were on the same quest looking for employment.
The two men were sharing a one-room at Ngwane Park and offered her a place to stay with a woman called Nobuhle Zwane whom they said was their friend.
Upon introduction, Zwane agreed to reside with Dlamini as she was also on the same quest and further offered to teach her skills to be self-employed and self-sustainable.
“I submit that Mabuza and Motsa were self-employed, they were builders, and they ran a spaza shop in the area whilst Zwane would braid hair and do several beauty techniques, she would also supply salons with different beauty products.
They would take me with them, and I would help around where I could, and they would remunerate me,” she said.
Dlamini stated that during that period, either one of her newly found friends would on several occasions send her to withdraw money from Standard Bank AT using Unayo vouchers as they were busy with their businesses.
The suspect said she would withdraw the money on the strength that it was their money and became used to doing these favours for them as they, in return helped her get on her feet.
“At all material times, I laboured under the belief that the money belonged to them and that their clients were paying them for the work they had done for them.
I was just assisting them as they often sent me when they said they were busy and couldn’t do these errands themselves.
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I believed that I was withdrawing payments as I had been working with them for a few weeks I had seen that they all had many clients,” she said.
Dlamini said she was taken aback when she was arrested by police officers claiming they had video footage of her at Standard Bank ATM’s.
She said had she known what she was doing was a crime, she would have refused to run the errands of withdrawing the money.
This, she said is a clear demonstration that she was unaware that her actions amounted to a criminal offence.
“I must bring it to the attention of the court that I did not intentionally neither commit any offence nor benefit from the said offence.
I am advised and verily believe that for purposes of the present application, the mentioned defence suffices as a full one to the charge I am facing will be traversed at trial,” she said.
Dlamini further submitted that she is a sickly person who suffers from asthma and sinuses, a condition that does not allow her to be exposed to cold weather conditions and surfaces, yet she is made to sleep on a small mat on a cement floor at the correctional facility.
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She further alleged that she was assaulted by the police upon arrest and requires medical attention.
“I have three minor children who are all school-going and my family is wholly dependent on me for support and maintenance and my continued incarceration will greatly prejudice them.
There is no likelihood that if released on bail I may attempt to influence or intimidate witnesses as they are not even known to me because I have still not been provided with a summary of evidence containing their list and neither will I conceal or destroy evidence as I do not know its nature,” she submitted.
