Page 7 - 17 October 2025

THE REPORTER 17 OCTOBER 2025 · PAGE 7

How Gauteng woman complainant to purchase the Limpopo cops accused of
said chemical, which was
lost R1 million to her then transferred by the
nued to borrow money from R950,000 Mpumalanga robbery
complainant. Mike conti-
lover in fake coltan deal the complainant until it
amounted to R1 million. remanded behind bars
by Jonisayi Maromo The complainant allegedly
IOL NEWS transferred around R1 by Jonisayi Maromo
million to Mike over a period IOL NEWS Monday, 13 October 2025.
of time, believing she was The Ethiopians were
investing in a legitimate identified as Daniel Anshiso
coltan transaction. Wikillo, 38, and Temasgen
Shagane Aleyo, 33. They will
In September 2023, the remain in custody and are
complainant discovered that expected to appear again on
Mike was in fact, part of a 20 October 2025.
syndicate that scams unsus-
pecting victims out of money Last week, IOL reported that
while pretending to be a Limpopo provincial police
coltan dealer. commissioner Lieutenant
General Thembi Hadebe
A case was registered at the strongly condemned the
Midrand SAPS, which was alleged criminal conduct of
then transferred to the the police officers, saying the
Hawks’ serious commercial SAPS has a zero-tolerance
crime investigation unit. Police-marked vehicles were allegedly used in the stance toward corruption
Mashishing house robbery, where investigators recovered
Further investigations linked and will allow the law to take
Tshibangu to another R2 illicit cigarettes worth R1.5 million, R950,000 in cash, its course.
million fraud case, in which and ammunition.
According to Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer five suspects — including his File Picture: Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Media At the time, provincial police
Thatohatsi Mavimbela, Bovic Tshibangu allegedly posed as wife Rejoyce Keseke, Lindiwe spokesperson in Limpopo,
a mining executive to defraud a woman of more than R1 Makelele, Zingah Mpoyi, Five suspects — including four Limpopo police Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba,
million in a fake coltan deal. Image: Hawks Sylvano Kayembe, and Lars officers — arrested in connection with a house said the suspects, aged
between 29 and 41, were
Niehaus — have already robbery in Mashishing (Lydenburg) have appeared in
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also been arrested on charges of arrested during the night in
known as the Hawks, has arrested a 48-year-old man theft, fraud and money the Mashishing Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga, Lydenburg following a police
response to a house robbery
believed to be part of a criminal syndicate behind a laundering. That case is where their case was postponed to Friday.The court in Mashishing. The robbery
string of high-value coltan scams across Gauteng. currently before the courts. case was postponed for a bail application and for occurred on Thursday night.
Both of Tshibangu’s cases both the State and defence to finalise the necessary “According to preliminary
Columbite-tantalite, known special chemical purportedly information. reports, the victims, all
as coltan for short, is a dull needed to process the have been postponed to 10 Ethiopian nationals, were
black metallic ore that is mineral. and 21 October 2025 for Mpumalanga provincial police-marked vehicles to asleep when they were
formal bail applications.
abundant in the eastern A week after the pair started p o l i c e s p o ke s p e r s o n carry out the attack. ambushed by a group of
parts of the Democratic dating, Mike asked the Meanwhile, Hawks Gauteng Brigadier Donald Mdhluli Investigators also recovered armed suspects,” Mashaba
Republic of Congo (DRC). complainant to call a person provincial head, Major stated that the accused will illicit cigarettes valued at said. He said it is reported
Tantalum, from coltan, is by the name of Catalia to set General Ebrahim Kadwa, remain in custody until their around R1.5 million, cash the suspects used three
used to manufacture up an appointment for him. commended the investi- next appearance. estimated at R950,000, and vehicles: a grey double-cab
capacitors, which are used The appointment was set up gating officer for his The suspects were identified ammunition. Toyota bakkie with Limpopo
for mobile phones, com- and Mike invited the “professionalism and as: Senama Sarafina (35), According to the Directorate registration plates, a marked
puters, automotive electro- complainant to join him in unwavering dedication” in Huma Malesela Daniel (34), for Priority Crime Inves- S A P S V W G o l f G T I
nics and cameras, among the meeting. During the tackling the complex web of Shogole Lesiba Lucky (41), tigation (Hawks), the belonging to the Polokwane
other gadgets. meeting, Mike handed the coltan-related scams. Ledwaba Macdonald (34), investigation into the Flying Squad and the third
Bovic Tshibangu appeared complainant an envelope Kadwa urged the public to Komane Johannes (29) — a robbery and the involvement vehicle, believed to be a
briefly in the Alexandra containing what looked like remain vigilant. civilian. of the police officers is Suzuki or Avanza, which fled
Magistrate’s Court, facing a b l a c k s t o n e s , " s a i d “These scammers prey on The group was arrested last ongoing. the scene carrying several
fraud charge following his Mavimbela. unsuspecting victims, often week following a house In a related development, boxes of suspected illicit
arrest on 5 October at a club Catalia then informed Mike targeting those perceived to robbery involving Ethiopian two Ethiopian nationals cigarettes and an undis-
in Yeoville, Johannesburg. that she would pay Mike R26 have wealth. We urge the nationals in Mashishing. linked to the illicit cigarette closed amount of cash.
According to Hawks spokes- million for the stones after public to report any During the incident, consignment also appeared jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
person in Gauteng, Warrant they had been verified to be suspicious individuals or suspects allegedly used in the same court on IOL News
Officer Thatohatsi Mavim- the mineral called Coltan. At transactions to the Hawks,”
bela, Tshibangu allegedly a later stage, the stones were he said.
posed as a mining executive apparently verified by two The Hawks’ serious com-
to defraud a woman of more individuals alleged to be mercial crime investigation
than R1 million in a fake working at IRWD mine, to be unit continues to probe the
coltan deal. coltan. expanding coltan scam
The Hawks allege that The two then informed Mike network, which has de-
Tshibangu met the com- that these (stones) contain frauded several victims
plainant in August 2023 at a heat and would require a under the guise of high-value
Johannesburg mall and certain chemical to cool the mineral trading.
introduced himself as minerals. Mike then bor- jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
“Mike.” After befriending the rowed R290,000 from the IOL News
victim, he claimed to work
for a mining company called
IRWD, and later convinced
her to fund the purchase of a