Bogus lawyer to confess to crimes

Makhetha Mathumba who posed as an advocate stands on the steps to the South Gauteng high court in a Facebook post. Picture: Facebook

Makhetha Mathumba who posed as an advocate stands on the steps to the South Gauteng high court in a Facebook post. Picture: Facebook

Published May 31, 2016

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Johannesburg - A man alleged to have masqueraded as a lawyer for years and fleeced his victims of more than R1.5 million intends to plead guilty to charges against him.

Makhetha Mathumba was supposed to apply for bail when he appeared in the Commercial Crime Court in Joburg on Monday on charges of fraud, impersonating legal representatives and contravening the Attorneys Act.

However, he abandoned his bail bid.

“There is an indication that the accused intends to plead guilty,” prosecutor Terrence Zitha told magistrate Phillip Venter.

Mathumba’s lawyer confirmed that his client was going to plead guilty.

The matter was then postponed to June 13 for plea purposems and Mathumba remains in custody.

Mathumba was arrested on Saturday after he failed to avail himself in court to represent a client who later opened a case against him.

Investigations revealed that Mathumba was not a qualified lawyer and had only a matric certificate.

His Facebook account said he was a qualified advocate who graduated from, among other institutions, the University of Cape Town.

However, the university confirmed to The Star it didn't have a record of Mathumba registering there. Mathumba’s Facebook profile picture is of him wearing a lawyer’s robe at the high court in Joburg.

In December 2014, The Star spoke to one of Mathumba’s alleged victims from Cosmo City.

Zodwa Ziqubu said Mathumba told her to deposit R2 500 at Shoprite, which she claimed she did. Ziqubu said Mathumba told her the money was an urgent fee that needed to be paid to the Bar.

She said Mathumba kept asking for more money but she instead reported him to the Department of Justice.

In January last year, The Star spoke to Justice Department spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga, who confirmed that Ziqubu was not Mathumba’s first victim.

Mhaga also confirmed that Mathumba’s name did not appear on the roll of advocates.

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The Star

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