A 31-year-old Free State man who defrauded members of a Christmas stokvel has been sentenced to an effective 10 years in prison by the Bloemfontein Regional Court.

Lebohang Mokatedi and his company, Lebohang Society and Financial Credit Service (Pty) Ltd, were sentenced on Thursday, 15 October 2026, after being convicted on 8 October of multiple counts of fraud, theft and money laundering.

In 2024, Mokatedi established a Christmas stokvel that promised members groceries, alcoholic beverages, household goods and ingredients for festive meals at the end of the year.

Members from Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and surrounding areas contributed between R100 and R500 monthly, expecting to receive their goods in December.

However, when the time came to distribute the promised items, Mokatedi allegedly fled without delivering the goods, leaving members empty-handed.

Victims subsequently opened fraud and theft cases at police stations in Bloemfontein and Botshabelo. The cases were later handed over to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit.

Following an investigation, Mokatedi was tracked down and arrested in East London, Eastern Cape, after fleeing the Free State. He made his first court appearance in January 2025.

The court sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of a similar offence during that period. He will serve an effective 10 years behind bars.

His company was also fined R1 million, wholly suspended for five years, subject to conditions relating to further fraud offences.

Free State SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Solly Lesia and Hawks provincial head Major-General Mokgadi Bokaba welcomed the sentence and commended investigators for their work.

Earlier reports suggested that nearly 2,000 people had joined the stokvel, with millions of rands allegedly involved. However, the exact amount lost was not confirmed in the latest court proceedings.

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