RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the 20 years’ direct imprisonment sentenced imposed by the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on 45-year-old Kagiso Josias Selomane, who was convicted on nine counts of fraud for posing as a lawyer. Investigations revealed that between 2011 and 2015, Selomane masqueraded as a legal practitioner in courts across the North West and Johannesburg. He misled victims into believing that he was a qualified lawyer who could represent them in divorce and labour matters, and even pretended to be an executor of a major bank.
According to information, Selomane’s modus operandi was to demand upfront payments for legal services that he never provided. In some cases, he duped clients into sitting in empty courtrooms, claiming their cases had been postponed, while in reality, no proceedings had been scheduled. Over the four years, Selomane siphoned off more than R1 million from unsuspecting victims.
He was arrested on 20 October 2015 after some victims reported him to the police. In delivering the sentence, Magistrate Samuel Mabogo highlighted that the crimes were premeditated and executed over several years, noting that Selomane had previous fraud convictions dating back to 2017.
The court imposed the following sentences: Count 1: 12 years’ imprisonment, count 2: 10 years’ imprisonment, count 3: 10 years’ imprisonment, count 4: 4 years’ imprisonment, count 5: 3 years’ imprisonment, count 6: 4 years’ imprisonment, count 7: 3 years’ imprisonment, count 8: 3 years’ imprisonment and Count 9: 5 years’ imprisonment.
In accordance with Section 280 of Act 51 of 1977, some sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20-year imprisonment. Selomane was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
