Hawks nab Beacon Bay pastor, wife
Controversial couple appear in court on theft and fraud charges
ABEACON Bay church leader and his wife who left a number of people in the Eastern Cape bankrupt, have been arrested by the Hawks and charged with theft and fraud.
Pastor Thandile Kupiso and his wife Nosiphiwo, of the Real Vision in Christ Ministries church, briefly appeared in court last week.
The Hawks said Thandile was facing two cases of fraud while Nosiphiwo was charged with one case.
The couple allegedly lured their victims by pretending to be healers with the powers to cure any illnesses including HIV/Aids, TB, high blood pressure and strokes.
Hawks spokeswoman, Captain Anelisa Feni, said the couple were initially arrested in 2013 but their case had to be struck off the roll due to “legal technicalities”.
“Thandile Kupiso and his wife Nosiphiwo Kupiso were arrested by the serious commercial crime unit of the Hawks during October 2013.
“They were arrested for allegedly defrauding a pensioner of a total of approximately R568 000.
“They allegedly convinced this woman from Alice to give them this amount between August 2013 and October 2013. They allegedly promised that they would cleanse her house from witchcraft,” said Feni.
The couple’s court appearance last week came a week after Kupiso appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on allegations of fraud in which he is accused of defrauding an East London businesswoman of R900 000.
“Kupiso allegedly acted as the 58year-old woman’s traditional healer and apparently managed to con her out of this amount by promising to turn around her financial misfortunes.
“He allegedly stole this money from August 2015 to February 2016,” said Feni. Kupiso is not new to controversy. In 2014 the Dispatch reported how he had sold water and olive oil to his congregation and people of the Eastern Cape, telling them it would cure illnesses.
In 2013 he was chased out of Magalakanqa village in Centane after he allegedly promised the residents riches and prosperity, but instead conned them of their money and livestock.
Valituba Dyasi of Ngqele village in Alice said he gave thousands of rands to Kupiso in the hope his 24year-old disabled son, Lucky, would be healed.
“That never happened,” said Dyasi.
Tobela Mpete, who was close to Kupiso in church claimed he lost R20 000 as he was promised a vehicle.
“I wanted a vehicle, a bakkie, and he said I must give him R20 000,” Mpete said.
For the Alice case, the couple will be back in court on January 24 while Thandile is expected back in court on January 27 for his East London case. —