Two women from Thembalihle, who allegedly scammed Ward 18 Councillor Mchunu, appeared in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Tuesday, April 8) in a fraud case.

One of the women visited the municipality on Monday to report a family death and requested the municipality’s assistance and intervention. Mchunu was moved by the story and volunteered to provide groceries. He even approached Sibiya Funeral Service, asking them to collect the deceased from the women’s home.

When Mchunu and Sibiya Funeral Service manager Mondli Madinane got to the Thembalihle homestead, the women asked only family members to help load the ‘body’ into the vehicle.

When the driver returned to the funeral home and attempted to unload the body, he discovered that there was in fact no corpse – only folded blankets that had been arranged to resemble one.

Madinane said they immediately reported the matter to the police.

When questioned, the women claimed that hunger had driven them to commit the act and that someone had advised them to carry out this plan as a way to obtain food. They were arrested by police.

After the court appearance, Mayor Mduduzi Myeza said, “We attended court and had a meeting with the prosecutor, Sibiya Funeral Service manager Mr Madinane and Cllr Mchunu, where the prosecutor explained the seriousness of the case and described it as fraud. We had to plead with the prosecutor for the case to be dropped. Fortunately, the case was withdrawn and the accused woman was released. The other one had been released on Monday, as she turned state witness because she distanced herself from the well-organised crime.”

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Myeza said this incident was an eye-opener which could lead to the municipality being hesitant when community members request assistance, given the fact that the municipality has a programme to assist mourning families. He added that the woman in this case said she expected to be assisted with money, not groceries, as the municipality normally donates money to mourning families.

Mchunu commented that he is glad this matter has been closed. He went on to say that the woman will be assisted with psychological attention and other assistance she may require.

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