Six loansharks guilty of cashing in on clients’ Sassa cards

The Hawks arrested a moneylender withdrawing money allegedly from her clients’ accounts using their social grants cards.

The arrest took place at an ATM in Barkley West‚ Northern Cape‚ on Thursday. The 44-year-old woman was found in possession 15 South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Easypay cards‚ as well as R7 230 in cash.

The woman was charged with contravening sections of the National Credit Act‚ which deal with unlawfully having the possession of and using "any document‚ number or instrument" regarding money lent to a client.

She is to appear in Barkley West Magistrate’s Court on September 20.

In unrelated cases‚ six loan sharks pleaded guilty in to the charge of contravening the National Credit Act 34.

They were all arrested in Hartswater‚ in North West‚ on May 31.

Johannes Sebastian Bernado‚ 45‚ and Adri Bernado‚ 40‚ were found possession of 119 Sassa cards and R58 300 in cash.

The men were each fined R15 000 or serve 12 months’ imprisonment.

Johanna Cornelia van Deventer‚ 69‚ had in her possession five Sassa cards and R6 420 in cash.

She was fined R5 000 or six months’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit similar crimes.

Eric Swenso‚ 69‚ and Petrus Stydom‚ 26‚ had 144 Sassa cards and R24 150 in cash. They were fined R15 000 or six months’ imprisonment.

And Wilhelmina Swart‚ 65‚ was fined R5 000 or six months’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years.