Advocate is a fraud, says council
THE Legal Practice Council (LPC) has confirmed that a Durban advocate, who has allegedly swindled home buyers out of thousands, is a fraud.
Although Siphiwe Ndlela appeared on their system, he was, however, listed as a non-practising legal practitioner.
Together with the police’s Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation Unit, the LPC was currently investigating nine complaints against Ndlela, who apparently cannot be located.
Ndlela’s latest victim was Sanele Shelembe from Inanda, who allegedly bought a house worth R180 000 in 2019 from Bongani Nkosi.
The latter introduced Shelembe to Ndlela, who, he was told, would assist with the sale.
Shelembe paid the R180 000 for the house into Ndlela’s FNB account, while an additional payment of R12 000 was required for the transfer fees. Ndlela also told Shelembe that he would need to deposit another R1 500 for a title deed advert in a local newspaper.
“I made the payments in February 2020 and the whole process was meant to take at least three months, and we could move into our home. We cannot get hold of him any more.
“Mr Ndlela has changed his office, he does not return my texts, calls and emails. His receptionist still answers, but she always has excuses,” he said.
Shelembe said when they recently went to the property, they found it occupied by a man who said that the house belonged to his family.
“I am in the process of opening a criminal case, and I have also approached the LPC,” said Shelembe.
In October, the Sunday Tribune reported that Ndlela had allegedly pocketed over R200 000 from Sbonelo Mlaba when a property sale
fell through. Mlaba said he was introduced to Ndlela by a “fake“property agent who sold him property valued at R300 000 in Malukazi, outside umlazi township.
Mlaba claimed he deposited R220 000 into the same FNB account, and shortly thereafter Ndlela told him that the property had been sold to a different buyer through a different agent. The parties then agreed in July 2020 that the full amount would be returned within 32 working days, but Ndlela apparently only made a payment of R20 000 in September that year.
An acknowledgement of debt was signed in October, with Ndlela binding himself to monthly repayments of R20 000 effective from November 2020 until the debt had been settled.
However, Mlaba only received his first payment of R20 000 in February 2021, and another one in March. Ndlela made two additional payments amounting to R17 000 in September, but nothing further.
“Last month the LPC informed me that Ndlela had failed to respond to two of their letters and that they were going to investigate further,” said Mlaba.
Kabelo Letebele, the LPC’S national spokesperson, said in terms of the Legal Practice Act, Ndlela was neither authorised to render services nor to collect fees from clients.
He confirmed that they were in contact with Mlaba, and that his matter was one of the cases being investigated internally and jointly with the police.
“There are two matters that are at the disciplinary hearing stage, apart from the investigations being done jointly with the SAPS,” said Letebele.
“Our team is talking to a number of other complainants for the investigations committee to establish facts on other cases, and to prepare charges on others where details of alleged misconduct are clearer.”
Ndlela did not respond to calls and his personal assistant said she had been trying to locate him without success.