Prophet Phakamile Mangwejana Mohoto has landed in hot water after allegedly swindling a former South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member out of his entire pension payout worth more than R1.4 million.
Phakamile Mangwejana Mohoto (24) appeared in the Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court and was remanded in police custody following his arrest by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), based in Phalaborwa. He faces a charge of fraud.
According to information released by the Hawks, the incident dates back to 2023 when the former SANDF employee fell ill and encountered a foreign national who introduced himself as a prophet.
The suspect reportedly convinced the ailing soldier that his illness was spiritual and could be cured—on the condition that he resigns from his SANDF position and invests his pension into “blessed” business ventures.
Trusting the man, the victim resigned from the SANDF in October 2023 and received a pension payout of over R1.4 million on 14 January 2024.
Shockingly, just a day later—on 15 January 2024—the accused allegedly visited the victim and deceitfully transferred the full amount into a bank account registered under his name, without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
The victim only discovered the money was missing when he tried to withdraw cash from an ATM and was declined due to insufficient funds.
A visit to the bank confirmed the funds had been transferred out. Attempts to contact the so-called prophet failed as his phone went straight to voicemail.
The matter was reported at the Phalaborwa police station, and a case of fraud was opened. The docket was handed over to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit for further investigation.
After gathering sufficient evidence, the National Prosecuting Authority approved a warrant of arrest.
Mohoto was tracked down and arrested in Polokwane on 14 May 2025.
He has since made his first court appearance, and his case was postponed to 22 May 2025 for a formal bail application.
