Pretoria - Former bank employee Thokozani Goodwill Ndlovu was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment after being convicted on three counts of theft in the Volksrust Regional Court.
Spokesperson for the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Ndlovu was arrested after R500 000 vanished from the bank.
“Thokozani Goodwill Ndlovu worked very hard to gain his employer's trust and got recognition when he was entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the day to day smooth operation of the bank's Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
“The 35-year-old Ndlovu used the trust to enrich himself instead of rendering loyal service to both his employer and clients,” Mohlala said.
He said the bank identified illicit transactions when more than half a million rand went missing within a space of three days in November 2018.
Police said internal investigations were instituted and Ndlovu was subsequently identified as the prime suspect.
“The bank then laid a formal charge with South African Police Service in Volksrust which conducted investigation that led to Ndlovu's arrest in March 2019.
“The accused was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for each of the two counts of theft and five years imprisonment for the third count of theft which it will run concurrently with the second count. Out of 25 years imprisonment, he is expected to serve 20 years behind bars, and the Volksrust Regional Court further ruled that his pension be forfeited to the bank to compensate the loss incurred,” said Mohlala.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela warned employees against any form of corruption, and further extended the warning to community members to “avoid illicit quick cash making activities” as they might led to arrests and prison terms.
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