KIMBERLEY — Michael Chikwani, 36, has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison by the Kimberley Specialised Commercial Crimes Court following a multi-province vehicle theft and cyber fraud operation conducted via Facebook Marketplace.
Major General Charlotte Makgari, District Commissioner of the Frances Baard District in the Northern Cape, welcomed the sentencing. Chikwani was convicted on multiple charges, including motor vehicle theft, cyber fraud, money laundering, and contraventions of both the Identification Act and the Immigration Act.
Court evidence revealed that Chikwani defrauded victims in transactions involving 19 vehicles. He targeted individuals advertising vehicles for sale on Facebook Marketplace across the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and Free State provinces.
After arranging to view the vehicles, Chikweni provided sellers with falsified bank payment notifications to create the impression that funds had been transferred. Believing payment was successfully received, the victims handed over the vehicles and registration documents. Chikwani then absconded without paying and subsequently sold the stolen vehicles to unwitting buyers in the Western Cape.
A total of 26 cases were registered against the accused across the three provinces. These cases were centralized in Kimberley for prosecution.
The Kimberley Specialised Commercial Crimes Court handed down the following sentences:
Counts 1–32 (Theft of motor vehicles): 15 years’ imprisonment
Counts 33–50 (Cyber fraud): 15 years’ imprisonment
Counts 51–82 (Money laundering): 3 years’ imprisonment
Count 83 (Contravention of the Identification Act): 1 year’s imprisonment
Counts 84–85 (Contravention of the Immigration Act): 2 years’ imprisonment
The court ordered that all sentences be served simultaneously, resulting in an effective 15 years of direct imprisonment.
The successful prosecution followed a meticulous investigation by Warrant Officer Anthony Rheeder of the Kimberley Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit. Major General Makgari commended Warrant Officer Rheeder for his exceptional investigative work, specifically noting his extensive travel, long working hours, and unwavering commitment to ensuring justice was served.