The Limpopo High Court in at Thohoyandou sentenced a 46-year-old business impersonator to 51 years in prison on Wednesday last week, after she was convicted on charges of fraud.

Alidzuli Joyce Matete of Ngovhela, who was lodging at Makwarela, claimed to have been in exile and to have high-profile ANC connections, but she could not escape jail. She was found guilty on 107 counts of fraud which totalled an amount of R1,668 million.

Matete’s criminal spree started in 2006, and she was arrested in 2008 and was released on bail. Her trial started in 2008 and had to be postponed on a number of occasions. She did not plead guilty throughout the trial and at one stage her legal regal representatives withdrew from the case.

The court heard that she would approach prospective businesspeople, telling them that she was doing business with the departments of agriculture, education and health and that she could not cope with the amount of work she had been given. She would promise them a stake in her “business” for a fee, whereupon many parted with thousands of rands.

The smallest amount she accepted from ten people who came forward and reported her was R62 000, while the person who lost the most in the scam was fleeced for R381 000. When the time came for her to give them the "businesses", she would give them cheques which bounced. The court also heard that she had fraudulently bought airtime and cell phones to the value of R300 000, claiming that these were for her contractors, with cheques which also bounced. Another shop was robbed of curtains worth R19 000, which were also purchased using worthless cheques.

The case was supposed to have been finalized last year, but had to be postponed, as she claimed to have been waiting for R31 million as proceeds from Fifa World Cup games.

In January, the court found that she did not have any money, but she managed to convince the court that she would have money at her next appearance, which did not happen.

In her testimony, Matete told the court that she worked for the ANC and that she had been detained by the previous government for her commitment to the ANC. She said she still had connections high up in the ANC.

Prosecutor Ratshilumela Makhera had asked for a 31-year sentence, but Judge Godfrey Hetisani sentenced her to 51 years. Makhera said the trial had consumed much of the court’s time because of the many postponements, that there were no signs of remorse from the accused, that the crime had been well planned and that the amount involved was a lot.

Hetisani had to be recalled from retirement to come and complete the trial. In his judgement, Hetisani said the court would not be intimidated by the position one had in politics or political organizations. ‘It does not matter, even if you are a big cadre of the ANC. If you do wrong, you will be convicted and if it means going to jail, you will go. You are like any other person before the law,” said Hetisani before sentencing her.

Makhera was extremely happy about the outcome of the case, saying it would send a clear message to the public that crime does not pay. “Fraud and corruption do not pay; they only destroy the economy of the country and condemn government not to deliver,” he said. Adv Mmbambadzeni Manwadu appeared for Matete.