Former State Security Finance Clerk Kgaogelo Bopape Sentenced to 6 Years in Jail for Stealing R170 000

• The former State Security Agency (SSA) employee, Kgaogelo Bopape, withdrew R500 000 from the agency
• The former finance clerk used R170 000 and kept the rest of the money in a safe in her house before she was caught
• Bopape was sentenced to six years' imprisonment and the National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence

PRETORIA - The long arm of the law has caught up with former State Security Agency (SSA) employee, Kgaogelo Bopape, who was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for stealing R170 000 from the group.

The 53-year-old, who worked as a finance clerk in the company’s domestic currency division, was sentenced by Magistrate Ignatius du Preez in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

Bopape had withdrawn R500 000, claiming that it would be made available to the SSA members, but instead stole R170 000 of it in April 2020, according to News24. She kept the money in a safe in her office however, the financial manager at the agency discovered that the money was missing and found R330 000 inside Bopape's office.

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The National Prosecuting Authority's North Gauteng regional Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana hopes that the sentence will send a strong message to others that theft, corruption and fraud will not be tolerated, The Citizen reported.

South Africans react to the arrest

@MashSammy posted:

"Good riddance."

@Nicolas1212 commented

“Politicians that stole billions go free.”

@Michael86259668 said:

“We still waiting for those that stole billions.”

@Dida_21296 shared:

“Good. Now move on. Many people stole more than R170 000. Much, much more. Get them.”

@0731093725ludwe posted:

“It has become normal for ANC crooks caught stealing and they don't go to jail, only clerks.”

NSFAS theft: Sibongile Mani still out on bail of R1 500, legal team prepares to appeal sentence and conviction

Briefly News also reported Sibongile Mani, the former Walter Sisulu University student who was convicted of the theft of over R800 000 of R14 million that was accidentally deposited into her bank account, has not yet started serving her five-year sentence.

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Mani's legal team managed to get her bail of R1 500 extended after she was handed down a sentence on Wednesday, 30 March. Her team is expected to appeal the conviction and the sentence she received.

Luxolo Tyali, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, says Mani will stay out on bail until 11 April to allow for the process of her appeal to take place. Tyali states that the NPA intends to oppose Mani's appeal.

Source: Briefly News