Rustenburg – A 45-year-old man who masqueraded as a lawyer for years, swindling clients out of more than R1 million, has been sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment by the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court.
Kagiso Josias Selomane was convicted on nine counts of fraud after a lengthy trial that exposed how he duped unsuspecting victims between 2011 and 2015. Posing as a qualified attorney, Selomane appeared in courts across the North West and Johannesburg, offering legal services in divorce and labour disputes, and even claiming to be an executor of a major bank.
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Elaborate deception
Investigations revealed Selomane demanded upfront payments for cases he never pursued. In some instances, he convinced clients to sit in empty courtrooms, falsely claiming their matters had been postponed when, in reality, no proceedings had been scheduled.
His arrest in October 2015 came after several victims lodged complaints with police. Despite initially pleading guilty to four counts, State Advocate Rodger Mareume argued that Selomane’s plea was insincere, noting his lack of remorse and failure to reimburse victims.
Court’s ruling
Magistrate Samuel Mabogo emphasised that Selomane’s fraud was carefully planned and carried out over several years. The court also considered his previous fraud convictions from 2017.
The court imposed a range of sentences across the nine counts, including 12 years on the first and 10 years each on the second and third counts. In terms of Section 280 of the Criminal Procedure Act, several sentences will run concurrently, leaving Selomane with an effective 20 years behind bars. He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
NPA welcomes sentence
North West Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Rachel Makhari, welcomed the judgment, praising Advocate Mareume for his handling of the case.
“These sentences underscore the NPA’s commitment to combating bogus legal practitioners and protecting both the integrity of the legal profession and the public,” she said.
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