Former Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has been arrested on charges of fraud, according to his political party Al Jama-ah. The arrest, which comes after a victim reported a scam involving funeral insurance payments, has raised questions about the timing.
According to the Sunday Times, Gwamanda allegedly operated an illegal business conning Soweto residents with monthly payments for funeral insurance in 2012. The victims were left without their money when Gwamanda disappeared.
The victim who opened the case stated that she had taken out a policy with Gwamanda’s company, only to find the offices empty when she went to inquire further. Gwamanda, now an Al Jama-ah councillor and MMC of community development, was charged with fraud and released on bail after appearing before a magistrate.
Al Jama-ah has expressed respect for the legal process but raised concerns about the timing of Gwamanda’s arrest, coming just after his appointment to a government committee and on the eve of a contentious street renaming in Sandton.