RUSTENBURG FRAUDSTER AND COMPANY JAILED FOR 15 YEARS

02 February 2026

RUSTENBURG FRAUDSTER AND COMPANY JAILED FOR 15 YEARS

Rustenburg, North West – The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Rustenburg has sentenced Kabelo John Masango (32) and his company, Creative Ideas Nonstop Trading and Projects (Pty) Ltd, to an effective 15 years’ imprisonment for fraud and money laundering. Masango and his company were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for 10 counts of fraud, 10 years’ imprisonment for money laundering, and 10 months’ imprisonment for contravening section 7, read with sections 8 and 36 of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002. The court ordered that all sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for both accused.

The court heard that between June 2017 and April 2018, Masango approached victims, mainly from Dikebu Village near Rustenburg, including close relatives, and persuaded them to invest money with his company by promising high returns. He frequently visited potential investors at their homes to convince them to invest their hard-earned savings.

To gain the trust of investors, Masango paid interest to the first investor from his personal bank account. Some investors received payments for the first two months, while others did not benefit at all. Thereafter, Masango failed to honour the agreements, ignored calls from investors, and disappeared with their funds. The victims reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest on 28 November 2021.

Evidence before the court revealed that Masango siphoned off more than R1.7 million from unsuspecting victims during the period 2017 to 2018. During the trial, Masango and his company pleaded not guilty. In aggravation of sentence, Advocate Nkhetheni Mudau submitted that the accused deliberately defrauded elderly persons, some of whom were known to him and others who were related to him. The court heard that Masango made false promises of monthly interest payments, which were either short-lived or never honoured.

Welcoming the sentence, Dr Rachel Makhari, Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, commended Advocate Mudau and all stakeholders involved in bringing the matter to a finality. “This sentence should send a strong message to those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain. The NPA remains unwavering in its commitment to combat commercial crimes, uphold the principles of justice, and protect the interests of vulnerable communities,” said Dr Makhari.

Issued by:

Sivenathi Gunya

Communications Officer

North West Division

National Prosecuting Authority

Email: sgunya@npa.gov.za

Cell: 078 172 9367