Former Mayor of Joburg Cautions About Scammers Utilising his Photo

Thapelo Amad, the former mayor of Joburg, expressed his grievance over scammers using his photo to sell RDP houses in the south of Johannesburg illegally. These houses were intended for poor city residents, and the syndicate responsible appears to be operating in various parts of Johannesburg as reported by IOL.

Amad warned anyone approached with offers to purchase houses supposedly sold by him or the City of Johannesburg, stating firmly that RDP houses are not for sale. He plans to open a criminal case to alert the police about this fraudulent activity, though he is uncertain how many people may have fallen victim to the scam.

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As a current councillor in the City of Johannesburg and a religious leader in his community, Amad is concerned that such actions are damaging the city’s reputation and that of the provincial government.

The Star reported that the same scammers also used the image of Lebogang Maile, the MEC for Human Settlements. Maile’s office condemned these deceitful actions and urged residents to report any illegal sale of RDP houses. A spokesperson for the Department of Human Settlements, Castro Ngobese, emphasised that government houses are not for sale and warned against falling victim to these scams. They urged the public to report such scammers to the relevant law enforcement agencies.

The City of Johannesburg also condemned the illegal sale of houses using images of prominent leaders. The city revealed that scammers had previously utilised the faces and names of other prominent municipal leaders. Authorities are actively investigating the matter to address this ongoing problem.

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Photo: Facebook / @Abubakr Thapelo Amad