Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

Mpumalanga police are looking for an estate agent who allegedly disappeared with R150000 belonging to a woman who bought a house through him.

Mandla Mvula-Hlatshwayo of KaNyamazane, near Nelspruit, allegedly sold a house to Isabel Sithole last year. He disappeared with the cash when the owner of the house he sold later changed his mind about the sale.

Sithole told Sowetan yesterday that Mvula-Hlatshwayo said he had transferred the money into Silinda Mokoena and Associates' bank. He said the law firm acted for him.

"After paying him I happily moved into my new house" said Sithole. "My excitement was short-lived when people arrived saying they were the owners."

"When I contacted the previous owner he told me Mvula-Hlatshwayo had not paid him a cent for the house and that he had sold the house to other people."

She said that when she demanded her money from Mvula-Hlatshwayo he said the money was with his attorneys, which the law firm denies.

"We contacted Mvula-Hlatshwayo and he undertook to pay Sithole all her money by February. We are surprised that this has not happened," Edwin Shongwe of the law firm said.

Mvula-Hlatshwayo was not available for comment.

Police spokesperson Abie Khoabane said they were looking for Mvula-Hlatshwayo, who faces charges of operating under false pretenses.

"Mvula-Hlatshwayo has signed under oath that he will pay Sithole back on March 27 but this has not happened," said Khoabane.

"A warrant for his arrest has been issued."