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MANZINI – A Fidelity Security Cash Guard has been arrested for allegedly stealing E200 000 belonging to the First National Bank (FNB).
The money was reportedly part of over a million Emalangeni he was transporting to the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE).
According to a source close to the matter, Phila Siboniso Dlamini (35) of Mnyokane is employed by Fidelity Security Services. On Monday, August 18, 2025, he, along with two other cash security officers, was tasked with transporting money from Manzini FNB, amounting to over a million Emalangeni, to the CBE Reserve at Matsapha Industrial Site.
The source alleged that Dlamini, who is the accused, was in the vehicle where the money was kept, while his two colleagues were in the front, one as a driver and the other as a passenger. He stated that the money is usually sealed with a tag during transport, and on this day, the accused had supposedly stolen an extra tag.
He alleged that while they were on their way to the CBE, the cash security officer in question purportedly opened the sealed money bag, took a stack of cash amounting to E200 000, and used the supposedly stolen tag to reseal it.
However, he claimed that when they arrived at the CBE, the officers noticed that the money was short, and they telephonically informed the bank about the discrepancy. Additionally, the source reported that the CBE officers informed the bank that they would not accept the cash since it was short, resulting in the Fidelity cash vehicle being turned away.
Upon arriving at the bank in Manzini, the source alleged that the money was recounted and found to be short by E200 000. He reported that the guards were questioned about the matter, and they all claimed to be clueless as to what had happened. Thereafter, he said the bank called the police, who, upon arriving at the bank and being led by Detective Constable Mcondisi Dlamini, questioned the security guards and conducted a thorough search of the vehicle and the garage where it was parked.
Full article available in our paper.
The suspect, Fidelity Cash Security Phila Siboniso Dlamini (L) with lead investigator of the case Detective Mcondisi Dlamini and Prosecutor Phila Matsenjwa (R). (Pic: Sibusiso Zwane)