The police are on the hunt for a 33-year-old travel agent who allegedly swindled a group of holidaymakers out of over E131 000 meant for their boat cruise trip to Durban.
The suspect, Thandeka Mamba of Mangwaneni Mbabane, is wanted in connection with a theft by false pretence case after allegedly collecting payments from 17 people who believed she was arranging a boat cruise package for them. The trip was reportedly paid for in June.
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According to the police, the group paid a total of E131 040 to Mamba, and on November 27, she hired a kombi for the group to travel to Durban. She is said to have even booked them a one-night stay with the assurance that she would join them the next morning to finalise the cruise arrangements.
However, Mamba reportedly vanished leaving the stranded group to fend for themselves. Members of the group were reportedly forced to cover additional costs for meals, transport and their journey back home.
The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) has since issued an infographic, seeking the public’s assistance in locating Mamba. After seeing the infographic, some social media users expressed concern as they claimed that they had also paid some money to Mamba for trips that were scheduled for this month.
One user stated that a trip that she and others had organised through Mamba was scheduled for this weekend.
Meanwhile, others shared how they also went on other excursions that had been organised by Mamba and were forced to pay additional costs after the agent allegedly failed to keep her promises. The police said more victims have come forward, with indications that the suspect may have run similar scams on other hopeful travellers. Therefore, Mamba is likely to face additional charges as other people report similar cases.
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Anyone who may have information that may lead to Mamba’s arrest may contact Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer, Senior Superintendent Thabo Hlophe on 7606 8570, or Manzini Desk Officer Inspector Bheki Madlopha on 7603 2658. Alternatively, the public may contact the police toll-free emergency numbers 999/9999/112 or may send a message on the police WhatsApp number 7999 1000.
Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni, urged citizens to remain vigilant as scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. She said falling victim to such elaborate scams could lead to significant financial loss and disappointment.
In December last year, one Sabelo Mncina (44), who is a tour guide, was arrested in connection to the theft of E54 000 that he had swindled from a group of 23 SOS Primary School teachers. Mncina had reportedly taken the money in December 2023, under the pretext that he would organise a cruise on a yacht and a train ride in Mozambique. He had also reportedly promised the teachers that they would travel to their trip on a private jet, but it never happened as the trip was cancelled two days before the day that the teachers were supposed to leave Eswatini.
