Kabelo Tlhabanelo
The fake magistrate ran up a bill of over R30,000 at a guesthouse, promising that the Department of Justice would pick up the tab.
But it turned out to be a total lie and on Friday, the slippery con man ran out of luck – and he is facing eight years behind bars.
What Elsabe Risseeuw from the Imperani Guesthouse didn’t know was that the man who introduced himself as magistrate Thato Mofokeng from Welkom, Free State, had already racked up 17 previous convictions!
Risseeuw said he arrived at their guesthouse in Ficksburg on 21 August and left without settling his R31,390 bill.
He had introduced himself as the newly-appointed magistrate in the area and called himself Daniel Sebiloane.
“He hit us during Covid-19 lockdown when we were struggling to get clients, so we were grateful for the business,” Risseeuw said.
Mofokeng booked for 11 nights. On 23 August he asked the guesthouse to provide accommodation and breakfast to his two friends which added R1,880 to the bill.
On 28 August, the fake magistrate requested the guesthouse to provide a venue, alcohol and other items because he was going to host a farewell party for one of his friends.
Then he vanished without paying a cent.
Risseeuw told Scrolla.Africa: “He didn’t look suspicious and the information he gave us looked genuine. But he won’t harm anybody again.”.
Free State NPA spokesman Phaladi Shuping said Mofokeng also visited Frontier Hotel in Bethlehem with his girlfriend on 16 October and said he was a top politician from Luthuli House and the ANC would pay the bill.
But he paid for one night, then left without paying a bill of R9,239.
Mofokeng has previously served time for all his 17 convictions.
He didn’t have any pending cases when he was sentenced on Friday.
