In a crackdown on fraud, Limpopo police arrested 60-year-old Azwindini Gabriel Mugwari for allegedly impersonating a state official and attempting to extort R15,000 from a woman by promising her son a job in the Department of Correctional Services.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, Mugwari was arrested on April 29 in Sibasa, under the Thohoyandou policing precinct. The scam began on September 11, 2024, when Mugwari reportedly posed as a Correctional Services officer and promised to help secure employment for the complainant’s son in exchange for money.
“On September 11, a woman was approached by an unknown man who claimed to be a Correctional Services warder in Thohoyandou. He said he could assist her son in getting a job within the department for a payment of R15,000. They exchanged contact details,” said Ledwaba.
The next day, Mugwari contacted the woman and requested an initial payment of R3,500. They met in Sibasa, where she handed over the cash, along with her son’s documents, as Mugwari assured her that training would soon begin.
Four days later, the woman and her son met Mugwari again to make additional payments. “On September 16, they met at Thohoyandou SAPS, where the complainant signed a document and paid an extra R7,000,” Ledwaba added.
A tip-off soon revealed the suspect was not a government employee. Though he initially evaded capture, Mugwari was later found at the Thohoyandou taxi rank. He returned R5,000, claiming to have spent R2,000 and promising to repay the balance.
After struggling to recover the remaining money, the woman filed a police complaint. The suspect was apprehended on April 29, found in possession of a Correctional Services uniform.
Mugwari appeared in Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on April 30 and is set to apply for bail on May 2.
Acting Limpopo police commissioner Major General Samuel Manala praised the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit for their swift action and warned those exploiting vulnerable people. He urged the community to report any attempts to solicit money for jobs to avoid falling victim to scams.
