THOHOYANDOU - Dorcus Mado Pitso, a former leader of Kopanang/Tanganani Pyramid Scheme, who once made headlines when she allegedly disappeared with more than R15 million of unsuspecting investors in Thohoyandou, is broke.

She confirmed this assertion during a meeting with her lawyers, Matodzi Attorneys, at Thohoyandou Central Prison last Thursday afternoon. Pitso was supposed to respond to a court order issued by the curators on September 11.

The curators from Johannesburg, who were accompanied by the investigating officer, Supt Takalani Nematswerani of the Limpopo Commercial Unit, visited Pitso at Matatshe last Monday. "We met Pitso on Monday were we wanted her to respond to a court order, since we have seized her belongings like houses and cars to the value of R4 million.

"Pitso told us that she will respond to us through her lawyers. However, she indicated that she did not have money to pay her lawyers, but she said she will try to talk to them," said Nematswerani.

Mirror can confirm that Pitso met with her lawyers, Matodzi Attorneys on Thursday morning where she declared to them that she is broke, while pleading with them to defend her. The lawyers, whom she owes R60 000, told her they couldn't continue without payment. They then said they will approach the University of Venda based Legal Aid Board Clinic to find out whether she could be helped free of charge.

"It is true that we met Pitso on Thursday morning. She told us that she is totally broke. We told her we could not continue without payment and we withdrew our services immediately. However, we arranged with the legal aid board to help her. Otherwise, we are no longer her lawyers starting from Thursday. The lady is broke. We cannot continue without payment," said a source from Matodzi Attorneys.

Meanwhile, Nematswerani said they would call a meeting of the investors and see how they can pay them as soon as the auditors have finished their job. Asked where they will get the other money from, Nematswerani said they have accepted that the other money is lost since they did what they could under the circumstances.