Two women appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday, 02 December 2025, facing serious charges linked to an alleged multi-million rand email interception scam targeting a major real estate firm.
Zandile Palesa Muthwa (41) and her mother, Pulane Mary Muthwa (71), were arrested on Monday, 01 December 2025, after handing themselves over to authorities. They face charges of theft, fraud, and the unlawful interception of data.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by Pam Golding Properties. According to the allegations, the company received an email that appeared to be from a legitimate client, instructing them to deposit over R4 million into a specified Nedbank account. Pam Golding Properties processed the payment.
The fraud was uncovered only when the actual client later informed the property group that the funds had never been received. A subsequent investigation revealed that the beneficiary Nedbank account did not belong to the client, but to the first accused, Zandile Muthwa. Investigators found she had no connection to Pam Golding Properties or its client.
Further forensic analysis of the bank transactions showed that after the R4 million was deposited into Zandile Muthwa’s account, she transferred portions of the money to several other accounts. One of these accounts belonged to the second accused, Pulane Muthwa, who is alleged to have received R85,000 from the proceeds.
Following their court appearance on Tuesday, the matter was postponed to Wednesday, 03 December 2025, for a formal bail hearing. On Wednesday, the court granted each accused bail of R1,000.
The case has been postponed to 24 March 2026 to allow for further investigation. Both women are now out on bail pending their next court date.