‘Traditional healer’ appears in court for ‘conning’ teacher into handing over pension money

A Free State “traditional healer” has appeared in court for allegedly conning a teacher into believing she’d become rich overnight if she handed over all her pension money.

The woman, aged 39, appeared in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of theft and fraud to the value of R481,190 following her arrest on Monday, said Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Lynda Steyn.

“The suspect posed [as] a traditional healer…and the victim made her way from QwaQwa to consult with the accused,” Steyn said.

Steyn added that during the consultation in August 2017, the victim was allegedly made to believe she could become an overnight millionaire, provided she resigned from her teaching job and handed over her pension money.

She was allegedly led to believe that, following some rituals, her R481,190 pension payout would become R4 million.

“The QwaQwa-based professional teacher resigned in December 2018 and handed the money to the suspect in anticipation of great returns, and the money was allegedly used for personal gain.

“Realising later that she had been conned, she reported the matter in October 2019 to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime investigating team for investigation.”

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