Five alleged members of a criminal syndicate have been arrested for defrauding Capitec Bank of over R2 million through fraudulent loan applications. The suspects, Christopher Mduduzi Zelani (36), Eric Khumalo (53), Mthobisi Mahlobo (32), Austin Mabuza (27), and Zithobile Mango (41), appeared in the Emalahleni Magistrates’ Court this week after being apprehended during a sting operation conducted by the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit.
The arrests, carried out between March 26 and 28, 2025, were part of a targeted operation across Mpumalanga and Bronkhorstspruit, aimed at cracking down on financial fraud. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the group allegedly operated the syndicate from August 2021 to August 2023, using fraudulent documents to apply for loans and credit cards through Capitec Bank.
It is further alleged that the suspects recruited Capitec employees to assist in facilitating the illegal loan approvals. Once the loans were approved, the accused reportedly shared the proceeds among themselves, resulting in Capitec Bank suffering losses exceeding R2 million.
The court granted the suspects bail of R5,000 each, with strict conditions. These include reporting to the nearest police station twice a week, surrendering their travel documents, refraining from leaving the country without notifying the investigating officer, and attending all court appearances.
The case has been postponed to May 8, 2025, to allow for further investigations and the possible identification of additional suspects.
This case forms part of the 2024/25 Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU) Capitec project, launched to strengthen collaboration between agencies in tackling financial crimes within the banking sector. The NPA’s Monica Nyuswa emphasized that the project aims to expedite the prosecution of financial crimes and mitigate their impact on South Africa’s economy.
