According to Nxumalo, part of the fraud was a bogus “ancestor’s voice” instructing her to contact various institutions and raise R500,000, which she handed over to him at his Brakpan residence.
Jabu Nxumalo, a South African woman, has spoken out about how she nearly killed herself when her Ugandan boyfriend, Joseph Ssekasi, deceived her.
She met Joseph on Tinder, and he fled four months later with her R510,000.
Nxumalo stated that when she joined the dating app, she was hoping to find an honest, loving boyfriend, but Ssekasi immediately started pursuing her.
“At the time, he called himself Deron Mundari, and claimed to be from South Sudan. Honestly, there was nothing amiss about the guy,” Nxumalo said in an interview with IOL News as part of an ongoing series on romance scams in South Africa.
“He seemed like a down to earth and a respectful person. Little did I know that he was in this relationship for a paycheck in the name of love.”
According to Nxumalo, part of the fraud was a supposed “ancestor’s voice” instructing her to contact various institutions and raise R500,000, which she handed over to him at his home in Brakpan.
Nxumalo was told that the money was her part to a secret scheme involving “ancestors” and prayers.
Ssekasi also claimed that the Brakpan house, which Nxumalo visited, was his, but she later discovered that the house was rented.
As the newfound love blossomed and Nxumalo handed over R510,000, the adoring Ssekasi appeared to hand over more than R700,000 as his part to the investment.
Days later, Ssekasi informed Nxumalo that he had a business outing and would be out of Gauteng for several days.
Ssekasi left Jabu on May 1, 2023, claiming to be heading to Limpopo.
While he was reportedly in Limpopo, the couple kept in touch via phone calls and text messages.
Days later, Nxumalo discovered that her communications to Ssekasi had abruptly stopped going through, and she believed it was a network issue.
At this point, Nxumalo kept disregarding her innate feeling that was asking her to go check out Ssekasi’s place.
“Honestly, my intuition was telling me to go to his place but I stopped myself several times. I was asking myself, who will open for me, when I get there? On May 11, 2023, the date he had said he would be travelling back from Limpopo, I decided to drive to his place during lunch time. That is when I found a ‘house to let’ sign on the house,” she said.
“I was shocked and devastated. I then realised instantly that I had been scammed”.
The following day, Jabu went to the Boksburg police station to open a case.
“When I got to the front desk, I waited for my turn and asked to speak to the constable in a private space,” Nxumalo said.
“The constable treatment me with respect, he took me to private boardroom and took my statement. He was empathetic and promised me that the police will do the best to assist me. I left the station with so much hope.”
Nxumalo was scheduled to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital the following day because she had turned su*cidal.
“I had not slept for two nights. Nxumalo was scheduled to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital the following day because she had turned suicidal.
I then went with my brother to meet the detective,” Nxumalo said
“While I was narrating my story, she stopped me and told me that as police, they can only arrest people they know their whereabouts, and that with cases of this nature, there is a low likelihood that a criminal can be sentenced,” she said.
“During our conversation, I showed her the picture of Ssekasi, the person who scammed me. Detective Khumalo did not even take the photo, and to-date she does not have a photo of my scammer, the person SAPS is hoping to catch one day.
“That engagement with the police detective actually depressed me more. I ended up asking detective Khumalo, if she was trying to tell me that there is nothing the police can do to help me,” said Nxumalo
Nxumalo told IOL that while they were still speaking with the detective, a female sergeant entered the office.
“The sergeant came in and asked her colleague: Khumalo, how much did this one lose? and Khumalo told her I had lost R500,000. The sergeant remarked that instead of giving the money to the scammer, I should have given her the money instead,” she said.
“At that point, I was so broken and shattered. It was on that day, after that engagement with the police that I started planning how I was going to end my life. But by God’s grace, I’m here to tell my story.”
More than a year later, the effervescent Nxumalo has not allowed the scam to bring her down, and she is now actively involved in initiatives to raise awareness about the numerous love scams that are spreading across South Africa.
This week, IOL contacted the South African Police Service in Gauteng, which verified that the docket in Jabu’s case had been “temporarily closed” pending the discovery of fresh evidence or information on the suspected swindler.
Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, a spokesperson for the Gauteng provincial police, told IOL that if fresh proof concerning the alleged swindler’s whereabouts arises, the docket will be reopened.
“This is a case of fraud and the case will be re-opened once there is new evidence or once we can get the suspect,” he said.
Masondo stated that the SAPS has asked Ssekasi to call the nearest police station. Community members who recognise Ssekasi should notify the police.
“Anyone who sees him is requested to call the nearest police station. He is required to help police with the investigation,” said Masondo
Meanwhile, Nxumalo urged women to be cautious in romantic relationships – a trait that would have saved her R500,000.
“Red flags include a new boyfriend who is very interested in where you work and what you do. They will ask random questions, like are you renting or is it your house. The scammer will ‘love bomb’ their victims, which means attempting to influence you as a woman through over-the-top displays of attention and affection,” said Nxumalo.
“The scammers claim to be deeply in love within a few weeks of meeting for the first time. Within days or weeks, he will want to introduce the unsuspecting victim to his ‘family’. But most of all, if the new boyfriend wants to borrow some money from you … run for your life.”
