Peter Podile, 42, was on Thursday, 11 September 2025, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by the Klerksdorp Magistrates’ Court for fraud and contravention of Identification Act 68 of 1997.
In November 2022, Podile made an application for vehicle finance using fraudulent documents at a car dealership in Klerksdorp.
The Hawks spokesperson in the North West province, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said a red flag was raised when a salesperson at the dealership noticed that the picture on the applicant’s identity document was already in their systems but under a different name.
“The application was approved, and when the accused went to collect the car, the dealership had already alerted the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation members.
“The suspect was apprehended soon after arriving to collect the car. He was charged with fraud and made several court appearances until his sentencing,” said Mathebula.
On a count of fraud, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, of which five years is suspended; and on a count of contravention of Identification Act 68 of 1997, he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Aizeque Zacaria Cumbuia, 26, a traditional healer from Mozambique abandoned his bail application at the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrates’ Court.
He is facing a charge of possession of human tissue.
“It is alleged that on 07 August 2025, Cumbuia was found in possession of human tissue in a room where he was practicing as a traditional healer.
“This was discovered by police officers when they were conducting investigations in relation to a Brits murder case, where a deceased female was killed, body parts removed, and her body burned,” said the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
In court the matter was postponed to 14 October 2025 for further investigations.
