City Of Joburg Employee And Former Colleague In Court For R160,000 Housing Fraud

Two women linked to the City of Johannesburg housing department appeared before the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 19 August 2025, facing charges of fraud and corruption.

Cynthia Thembekile Ntshangase (63), who is still employed by the department, and her former colleague, Nombulele Fatima Ngcamu (68), were arrested after a probe by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.

Their arrests followed a complaint dating back to November 2014, when a prospective homebuyer was misled into paying R160,000 for a house that was never delivered.

How the Fraud Scheme Unfolded

According to the investigation, the complainant approached the Pimville housing office to enquire about available homes.

Ngcamu allegedly told the complainant that houses were on sale for R160,000. When the complainant returned to make payment, Ngcamu sent another employee, Nosipho (now deceased), to accompany them to the bank.

The complainant then deposited R160,000 into a First National Bank account provided by Nosipho. The buyer was instructed not to visit the house until the occupants were “evicted.” Later, an additional R5,000 was demanded for supposed legal fees to speed up the eviction process.

Despite paying the full amount, the complainant never received the property. After repeated delays, they reported the matter to the City of Johannesburg, which referred the case to the Hawks for investigation.

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Following their arrest on 19 August 2025, Ntshangase and Ngcamu made their first court appearance the same day. The case was postponed to Friday, 22 August 2025, for a formal bail application.

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