South Africa Casino Workers Claim They Were Robbed, Police Say They Weren’t

Posted on: December 19, 2023, 08:32h. 

Last updated on: December 19, 2023, 08:57h.

Two casino workers in South Africa have been arrested for allegedly filing a false claim of robbery.

South Africa casino robbery police
Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has put the public on notice that filing a false police report in South Africa will result in prosecution. The alert comes after two casino workers allegedly filed a false claim of being robbed at work. (Image: Mpumalanga News)

Law enforcement in the Mpumalanga province believe Margaret Ndlovu, 23, and Tadiwa Madzokere, 19, lied to police when they filed a claim that they were robbed and held at gunpoint while on the job at a casino near Belfast. The duo declared that an unknown individual entered the casino at pointed a gun at them demanding money.

Police said the assertions seemed fishy and initiated an investigation that determined the incident didn’t happen as told. Law enforcement instead says Ndlovu and Madzokere were the robbers and sought to conceal their theft by filing a false claim.

“Opening a false case can land one behind bars,” Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said in a release. “After an investigation was done, police unearthed that something was not adding up, hence the two were arrested.”

South Africa is home to more than three dozen casinos, most of which are located in metropolitan areas. The casinos collectively offer more than 800 table games and nearly 21K slot machines.

South Africa’s gaming industry is controlled by three operators, Sun International, Peermont, and Tsogo Sun. Countrywide gross gaming revenue in 2022 totaled $236 million.

Police Establish Deception

Speaking with Independent Online, South Africa’s oldest news platform, Mohlala explained that Ndlovu and Madzokere walked into a police station last Friday and claimed they were the victim of a robbery while working at the unidentified casino.

Due to the experience, as well as the skills and training that the police officials that were assigned to take their statements possess, it became clear to them that something was not making sense when members were busy asking some valuable questions from the so-called complainants,” Mohlala detailed of the incident. “The matter was then investigated and police discovered that the two allegedly colluded to give information which was not true.”

Mohlala explained that police concluded that the two took money from the casino for their benefit.

“They then opened a [police] case to cover their tracks,” the police spokesperson added.

Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Semakaleng Daphney Manamela warned the public about such deceptive schemes.

“We would like to take this opportunity and warn people that whoever takes a chance to open a false case will be dealt with accordingly. The exercise is a waste of state resources which were supposed to be used where they are needed most,” said Manamela.

Suspects in Custody

Ndlovu and Madzokere remain in police custody after being charged with perjury. Their case will be heard Wednesday in Belfast Magistrate Court.

A person found guilty of a perjury charge faces considerable time behind bars. According to the South African Police Service, a perjury conviction can result in up to 10 years in federal prison.

The US Department of Justice says prisons in South Africa “are places of extreme violence” where “assaults on prisoners by correctional guards and other inmates are common and often fatal.”