Fake healer gets 15 years for duping Eastern Cape maths teacher out of pension money

A fake Malawian healer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for duping a mathematics high school teacher out of R669 000 of his pension money.

Bashir Lauw Kasenjera convinced Grade 12 Lukhanyo High School teacher Mlungisi Booi, 44, to resign from his position and cash in his R1.042 million pension and allow him to perform miracles on it so it could be turned into R30 million.

Booi resigned from his teaching post in October 2017 and the pension was paid out in March 2018.

He withdrew R669 000 of the pension money and stashed it in a bag in the spare room of his Motherwell home.

Kasenjera would visit Booi’s Motherwell house frequently to perform rituals on him and the money.

During one of the visits, he sent Booi to a spaza shop to buy him new razor blades to make incisions on his body.

Booi previously told News24 he believed Kasenjera, who had the key to the spare room, used that opportunity to empty the bag and replace the cash with cardboard boxes, paper and plastic.

Booi came into contact with Kasenjera in June 2017 after seeing an advert in a local newspaper about a “Professor Anadkat” claiming “to work miracles with money”.

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He then contacted the advertised number which resulted in Kasenjera visiting his home. The scam artist was arrested in Port Elizabeth in April 2018.

Booi only found out he had been scammed when Kasenjera disappeared without a trace and failed to answer his calls.

He then made the shocking discovery that his money was gone.

During his arrest, Kasenjera tried to bribe the police with R100 000 to release him. The docket was sent to the Hawks for further investigation.

Kasenjera, an illegal Malawian immigrant, was sentenced in the Port Elizabeth Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, the National Prosecuting Authority said.He was found guilty of fraud and corruption under the Contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Contravention of the Immigration Act and Contravention of the Consumer Protection Act by the same court on 5 August.

Speaking to News24 on Friday, Booi said justice had been served in the case.

“I am satisfied by the sentence; I hope I won’t see him out in seven years. I am also happy that he will be deported. The court said he will be deported after serving his full sentence because he is an illegal immigrant.”

He described Kasenjera as a brilliant person who managed to establish a good relationship with him.

Booi said he was unemployed and unable to feed or pay school fees for his three children.

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