Alleged RDP fraudsters arrested following years on the run

GAUTENG – The long arm of the law has finally caught up with Valencia Makgopa (43), and Motlalepula Prudence Mahadika (42), on alleged theft, fraud and corruption charges arising from a Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) house sale that never materialised.
Around June 2017, the two mentioned women approached an unsuspecting victim with promises of securing her an RDP house around Mogale City. The victim was told to deposit R60 000-00 into Mahadika’s account in order to ensure a rapid transaction. After the payment was made the pair from Kagiso in the West of Johannesburg vanished.
The case was reported at Kagiso police station in 2018, and thereafter referred to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team for further probing. Following completion of the investigation the docket was presented to the Directorate for Public Prosecutions (DPP) which in turn issued warrant of arrests for the pair.
On Saturday, 22 October 2022, in the early hours of the morning, the investigators arrived unannounced at Makgopa’s hideout in Diepkloof, Soweto and arrested her. She has since appeared in the Kagiso Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Mahadika meanwhile was arrested today in Kimberly by a dedicated Hawks team based in that province. Both are expected to be reunited at the scheduled court appearance on Monday, 31 October 2022.

Source: South African Police Service