The woman who accused Deputy President David Mabuza of plotting to kill people and drafting a hit-list has been arrested for perjury.

Petronella Nomfundo Sambo, 32, was arrested by Lowscreek, Mpumalanga, police after she allegedly reported a false robbery, informing police that she was working as an administration clerk and had been robbed of her work equipment, including a laptop.

She allegedly also told the police that she was placed in witness protection and kept at a safe place.

She also allegedly lied to gain entry into a safe place for police witnesses and victims of violence by claiming she was a lawyer investigating a "high-profile case".

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi said: "We can confirm that we arrested a 32-year-old suspect on a charge of perjury on Friday.

This came after the accused opened a case of robbery at the Lowscreek police station, and our preliminary investigation proved that she gave police wrong information including her names and ID number.

"The accused told police that she was working for Sabie Sisop Komatiland as an administration clerk and was robbed of money and a laptop belonging to the company."

Hlathi said Sambo told police that she had been placed in a witness protection unit as she was a key witness in a very sensitive case.

"Investigation proved that she lied to the safe place when she got there and said she was a lawyer investigating a high-profile case.

She was therefore arrested in that safe place," said Hlathi.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa told Sowetan yesterday that Sambo was already a fugitive after she had absconded her bail.

"A warrant of arrest is out on her after she was granted a R3,000 bail on the defamation case involving the deputy president. We can safely say she was a fugitive before this arrest."

Sambo is expected to appear in the Barberton magistrate's court today in connection with the perjury charges.

Sambo rose to prominence after she masqueraded as the deputy president's niece.

She called herself Thandeka Mabuza.

She wrote an affidavit on November 8 last year, alleging that while cleaning at Mabuza's house in Johannesburg, she stumbled on a hit-list dossier with businessman and conservationist Fred Daniel's name on it.

She went to the DA's provincial offices to report her alleged "discovery".

Daniel, who was based in Badplaas, Mpumalanga, was in court seeking a court order against Mabuza which raised questions on how "Thandeka" came to know about Daniel.

Sambo was released on R3,000 bail after her arrest on the defamation case laid by Mabuza but had apparently not attended court since.