For more than a year, Zamile Nongogo played a quiet but costly role in a scheme that left a financial institution short by over R600,000. Now, the 56-year-old from the Eastern Cape has been sentenced to six years in prison — though he won’t be serving time immediately, as the sentence has been fully suspended for five years.
The East London Commercial Crimes Court handed down the sentence this week, following a years-long investigation by the Hawks, South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
Nongogo, described by investigators as the “mastermind,” was arrested back in October 2019 alongside his accomplice, Thobani Mabizela. Their operation ran from January 2018 to February 2019, targeting vehicle finance institutions.
According to Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, Nongogo helped individuals who did not qualify for car finance obtain it by creating fake payslips and employment documents. These were then submitted to a financial institution, and after verification calls were made to fictional employers, vehicle loans were approved.
Cars were delivered to the clients — but not a single repayment was ever made. Once the fraud was detected, the matter was handed over to the Hawks.
Mabizela was found guilty in April and is due to be sentenced on June 30, 2025.
While Nongogo received a suspended sentence on the condition that he does not commit further fraud, his legal troubles are far from over. He remains in custody, as he is still facing additional charges in other ongoing matters.
He has also been declared unfit to own a firearm.