Health Struggles Deepen as Blind Soweto Man's Cousin Empties R421,000 RAF Payout Account in Hours

• A Soweto man drained his cousin's bank account after a R421,000 RAF payout was deposited
• The victim struggles with ongoing health issues due to a previous car accident
• Capitec Bank reported no security failures on its side, viewing the case as a civil dispute between relatives

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

GAUTENG, SOWETO - A Soweto man allegedly emptied his partially blind cousin’s bank account within hours of a R421,000 Road Accident Fund (RAF) payout being deposited.

RAF payout into Capitec Bank account

According to Sowetan, within a month, the unemployed relative allegedly bought a second-hand BMW, hosted a birthday party for his child, and extended his mother’s house. He later claimed the money came from online sports betting.

Read also

Witness F's chats expose potential sale of 750 guns with former deputy president’s nephew, SA reacts

The victim, Thabo Khoza, aged 39, said he now cannot afford medical consultations despite ongoing health complications from a car accident seven years ago. Khoza said he broke a leg in the crash, lost his hearing, and suffers from constant headaches that require medical treatment. He added that his lawyer deposited the RAF payout into his Capitec Bank account on 25 March 2025. He said the funds were transferred out of his account the following day in three tranches of R20,000, R350,000 and R25,000.

According to Khoza, he only became aware of the payout three days later, when he noticed large withdrawals from his account. By then, almost all the money was gone. Khoza said he was hit by a car in Soweto in 2019 while crossing the road to sell food to school children. After reviewing his bank statement with the help of his brother, Welcome Ndou, Khoza said he discovered that his cousin, Samukelo, had transferred the money into his personal account. He said Capitec Bank later confirmed this when the theft was reported.

Read also

Thabo Bester challenges transfer to eBongweni Super Maximum in court, South Africans voice annoyance

Cousin helped him install the banking application

Khoza said he trusted his cousin because Samukelo assisted him with mobility due to his blindness. He said Samukelo accompanied him to ATMs to withdraw his social grant, where he would verbally share his PIN. Khoza added that Samukelo also helped him install the banking application on his phone.

Khoza said he never suspected his cousin would steal from him and said Samukelo denied responsibility when confronted, claiming he had money from betting. He further alleged that the bank failed to properly suspend his account, placing his social grant deposits at further risk. Ndou told Sowetan that Khoza’s banking app required facial recognition, which Samukelo allegedly bypassed. He said Samukelo had spent all the money and that the family now struggles to cover Khoza’s medical expenses.

No evidence of failure or compromise of the bank’s systems

Capitec Bank public relations lead Inganathi Mnyasane said the transactions were processed using valid access credentials linked to the account. She said the beneficiary, Samukelo, was added and authenticated through biometric verification utilising the client’s selfie. Mnyasane said an affidavit submitted by Khoza during the investigation confirmed that a close family member received the funds. She added that the investigation found no evidence of a failure or compromise of the bank’s systems or security controls.

Read also

Madlanga Commission orders witness F to testify virtually despite his legal attempt to halt hearing

According to Mnyasane, the transactions could not have occurred without access to confidential security details and successful biometric authentication. She said Capitec classified the matter as a civil dispute between Khoza and his cousin, rather than bank-related fraud.

Police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed that police opened a theft case against Samukelo, aged 37. Sibeko said Samukelo appeared in court in April 2025 and again in September 2025.

Woman loses R2 million to alleged romance scam

Briefly News previously reported that a Northern Cape woman lost R2 million in an alleged romance scam involving her ex-boyfriend and a traditional healer.

The scammed teacher was pressured to sell her home and car, but later realised it was a fraud.

Source: Briefly News