Stock theft accused a flight risk , court told
Alleged mastermind of syndicate has at least eight addresses
Police want alleged stock theft mastermind Ntandoyenkosi Xoliswa Mbombo to stay in jail for the duration of her trial, saying not only is she a flight risk but she could harm those who testify against her if given bail.
Mbombo, 41, faces a slew of charges of fraud and stock theft related to the disappearance of more than 450 cattle worth an estimated R6.2m in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in the past nine years.
During a bail hearing in Qumbu magistrate’s court on Monday, Eastern Cape stock theft unit and endangered species provincial commander Colonel Sello Rute described Mbombo as a “conniving, ruthless and scheming woman who could do harm to others to evade trial”.
“She committed many crimes in the Eastern Cape while on bail for a number of similar cases in KwaZulu-Natal. She is a ringleader of a dangerous syndicate and works with more than 20 influential people, including traditional leaders, who are yet to be arrested,” said Rute.
Part of the state’s case is that Mbombo faked her identity several times by using the IDs of dead people.
“Some of the members of her syndicate who began their activities in and around Makhanda in 2011 are still at large. If she is granted bail, they will regroup and hit the South African farming community and harm key witnesses,” said Rute.
Qumbu and Tsolo were current stock theft hotspots in the country, he said.
“Between January and May, livestock including 18,000 cattle, 10,000 sheep, 5,000 goats and 200 horses were stolen in Qumbu. But since Mbomo’s arrest on May 27, there has been no stock theft reported in the Eastern Cape,” Rute told magistrate Songo Msengana.
Rute said releasing Mbombo could cause a public outcry.
“People are angry and baying for her blood. In the past three weeks, eight suspected stock thieves were killed,” he said.
Rute said Mbomo was a flight risk because in the past she had listed her places of residence as Pietermaritzburg, KwaBhaca, Matatiele, Port Elizabeth, Maluti, Kokstad, Swartberg and Umzimkhulu, but all were found to be non-existent.
Rute said after the Daily Dispatch’s
coverage of Mbombo’s arrest there had been more than 200 phone calls from farmers in the Eastern Cape and KwaZuluNatal reporting stock theft.
“I have never come across such a woman who could in a male-dominated underworld emerge as a leader of such a sophisticated syndicate for almost 10 years,” Rute said.
Some of her pending cases include:
● 2013: 12 cattle (Swartberg) worth R120,000;
● 2013: eight cattle and 42 sheep (Makhanda) worth R70,000. She allegedly used a false ID of a Port Elizabeth woman who died in 2008;
● 2015: 23 Jersey heifers (Franklin) worth R160,000;
● 2017 – eight cattle (Maluti) worth R80,000
● 2019: 46 cattle (Tsolo) worth R644,000;
● 2020: 19 cattle (Mthatha) worth R190,000; and
● 2020: 21 cattle (Katkop) worth R210,000
“After the Daily Dispatch report, KwaBhaca feedlot co-operative owners came forward claiming she swindled them by depositing R250,000 in their account and reversing the payment after receiving delivery of the cattle. On June 4, a case from Ngcobo was brought forward for 30 cattle worth R300,000. More victims are coming forward,” Rute said.
Her co-accused — Msawenkosi Mncube, Siphokuhle Mvelase, Zimasa Boya, Laman Boya, Sibonelo Nontso and Andile Mcelu —were granted bail of R5,000 each.
Their matter was postponed to September 23.
Mbombo’s bail application was postponed to Wednesday.