MBABANE – A 30-year-old Mbabane resident faces multiple charges of theft by false pretences including swindling Mbabane Ruchi Cash & Carry over E50 000 of Typek stock.
Ivan Vuyo Mbatsana, from Mpolonjeni appeared at the Mbabane Magistrates Court on Monday from custody, having been initially arrested on June 6, to answer on fresh charges of allegedly scamming a MoMo agent and paying her with fake bank notes, following that he deposited a fake purchase order on Ruchi Cash & Carry early this month.
Mbatsana who was charged for making a false representation to Hlobisile S. Ginindza, an airtime vendor, led her to deposit money into a mobile money account, then obtaining E500 fake notes. He is expected to reappear in court tomorrow.
According to the charge sheet, this incident took place on April 12, 2025, in the Nkoyoyo. On Monday, Mbatsana informed Magistrate C. Thwala that he was not ready to testify on the charge against himself as it was scheduled, leading to the postponement of his matter to Wednesday June 18, 2025.
This marks Mbatsana’s second appearance before Magistrate Thwala in connection with two other separate charges of providing fake proof of payment at Mbabane Cash and Carry on March 25 and contempt of court.
Already serving a five year sentence without an option of a fine on this charge, Mbatsana confessed that he was a gambling addict.
Mbatsana was charged with defrauding Mbabane Ruchi Cash & Carry of E57 750 whereby he submitted a fake Nedbank proof of payment to obtain 150 boxes of Typek.
On January 24, the accused visited the Ruchi Mbabane outlet posing as a stationery supplier and presented a forged bank document to make the fraudulent purchase. The Ruchi manager Mumcy Middleton testified against him.
Middleton said they were suspicious and that their traces led them to Sisekelo Bookshop as the destination but Mbatsana was not known there, prompting reporting him to the Mbabane police station.
The police investigation revealed he presented a fake Nedbank logo compared to the legitimate one.
Mbatsana pleaded guilty to the charge. Senior Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati sentenced him after he had told the court that he committed the crime in order to catch up on his over E400 000 losses he made while gambling on Aviator.
Mbatsana admitted that he had a gambling problem. He said after receiving the goods, he sold them and made E72 000 but lost it too. He said he was committed to attending a two-year gambling rehabilitation program in Hawane and had sworn to change his ways. However, the magistrate found his promises unconvincing.
“In mitigation, you did not give the court a picture of how you will pay back the money. You’re just saying this to get off the hook,” the magistrate said.
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