Nothando’s impersonator tried to flee

Phumlile Tfwala covering her face while being escorted by a Correctional Services officer at the Mbabane Magistrates Court. (Pic: Cyprian Mamba)

MBABANE – Nothando Nhlengetfwa’s impersonator and bogus soldier, who allegedly robbed a woman E20 000, tried to escape upon realising that the end was nigh. 

This transpired when Crown witnesses in the case against Phumlile Tfwala of Msahweni were leading evidence before Mbabane Magistrate Ndumiso Shongwe yesterday.  Tfwala was charged with theft by false pretence in that between May-June 2012, she unlawfully and with intent to defraud, misrepresented to Phindile Mabuza and took her money amounting to E20 000 and promised her children jobs.

Lungile Ntuli informed the court that the accused Tfwala, having allegedly taken an amount of E20 000 from her mother, promised to commit her (Ntuli’s) younger sister Zandile Masilela to His Majesty’s Correctional Services by way of employment.

 Job

“On November 7, 2012, I received a phone call from my mother telling me to take my sister to the Correctional Services as she had secured a job.  I went to my sister, who was in Mbabane, and found her with the accused and, before we drove to the Matsapha Correctional Services, Tfwala said there was a need for a uniform fee which was fixed at E700 which I paid.  She also said we must get to Nkoyoyo Army Barracks where she was based as a soldier to get sleeping mattresses which my sister would need while at the college. 

“We proceeded to Nkoyoyo Army Barracks where she alighted from the car leaving us outside the gate.  She spoke with the person at the gate for some time then came back without the mattresses she had promised. On our way to the Correctional Services College, Tfwala started to complain about a toothache.  At Mahhala she requested to be left behind to buy some tablets to ease the toothache.  I refused to stop the car instead offered her my pain killer tablets but she refused to take them and insisted she wanted to come out of the car,” alleged Ntuli.

Ntuli further informed the court that upon arrival at the Correctional Services, Tfwala immediately alighted from the vehicle and hastily walked away without explaining where she was going.  Perplexed Ntuli said she enquired from the Correctional Services officers on site where to leave a recruit to join the service.  It was then that she was informed that recruits were received on the previous Sunday.  Upon enquiry at the Correctional Services Headquarters whether there were any other recruits expected, it transpired that there were none.  

“It was obvious that we were defrauded thus I requested the Correctional officers to help me apprehend Tfwala,” she alleged.
Attesting to Ntuli’s evidence was Correctional Services Officer Jean Hamilton who informed the court that she was the officer who interviewed the duo on the matter. She stated that upon getting the story she, together with other officers, facilitated the apprehension of Tfwala by the Royal Swaziland Police Service.  
The matter was postponed to Thursday for the continuation of trial.

... Tfwala denies incident

MBABANE –Phumlile Tfwala, in defence of the charges against her, said the Crown Witness Lungile Ntuli was not telling the truth.

“My Lord, I agree that we went to Nkoyoyo but to get blankets. That was not my call but Lungile’s mother had sent me to Nkoyoyo to Lungile’s uncle who would help Zandile Masilela join the Correctional Services.  Again my Lord, on our way to Matsapha I never said I was suffering from a toothache but a neck pain.  Even when we got to the Correctional Services College I was not running away but wanted to go to the tuck shop to buy something,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tfwala agreed to the evidence led by Correctional Services Officer Jean Hamilton who alleged that after questioning the sisters, it transpired that Tfwala had misrepresented herself to lure the family of Ntuli into paying her an amount of E20 000 and a further E700 for a Correctional Services uniform in the hope of ensuring that her younger sister got a job at the Correctional Services.

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