Growing up black, you can’t avoid arrest - fraud accused Gwamanda claims

Former Joburg mayor released on bail

Fraud accused former Joburg mayor says prison is a possibility a black person cannot avoid.

Kabelo Gwamanda was responding to a question about his arrest on a video posted on social media on Sunday.

“You know in SA growing black, [ getting arrested] it's a possibility that no one can avoid. Regardless of the path you choose whether to serve or whether to engage in nefarious activities, the fact of the matter is the relationship between SA’s, and law enforcement is a relationship that needs to be worked on very strongly so that we understand what each of our roles are...,"said Gwamanda.

Gwamanda was arrested on Friday for fraud after he handed himself over to the police in Soweto and was later released on bail.

It is alleged that he conned unsuspecting Soweto residents through the iThemba Lama Afrika scheme into which they made monthly payments for funeral insurance.

One of his victims opened a case in January, it is alleged that she told the police that she thought the directors of the company that had scammed her were dead until she spotted one of them on TV as a mayor of Joburg.

According to the Sunday Times, a Financial Sector Conduct Authority investigation last year revealed that Gwamanda operated an illegal business in 2012 and then disappeared when his clients came looking for their money.

The allegations of Gwamanda’s fraud first made headlines when the DA mayoral candidate Mpho Phalatse who was contesting the same position with him threatened to open a case against him shortly after losing the mayoral reins.

Al Jama-ah leader, Ganief Hendricks questioned the timing of Gwamanda’s arrest.

“We are, however, surprised by the timing of the law enforcement at the time of Cllr Gwamanda’s appointment to the GNU Clearing House Committee and on the eve of the highly contested street renaming from Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.

“Although we advocate for the application and enforcement of the rule of law we would equally appreciate a fair application of such across the board the merits of the case are yet to be tested before a court of law,” he said.

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