MPUMALANGA police have launched a massive manhunt for a 37-year-old woman from Limpopo who defrauded a number of people of more than R1million.

A warrant of arrest has been issued for Kgolane Jolinah Makola of Burgersfort, who allegedly sold non-existent fraudulent tenders to numerous unsuspecting people in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

One of her victims was identified as Mpusheng Masha of Witbank, who she allegedly robbed of R150000 in July last year.

According to the police, she claimed to own Toyota Quantum minibuses and promised to sell him one that was contracted to a mining company in the area.

Captain Leonard Hlathi of Mpumalanga provincial organised Crime Unit said Makola told Masha that she was operating a transport business and that she wanted to sell her minibuses to start a bus operation.

"She also lied to him about a contract she had with a certain mining company and she wanted to sell him that too."

Hlathi said Makola then offered to sell Masha both the contract and one minibus for R300000 on condition he paid a deposit of R150000 in advance.

"Immediately after Masha paid the deposit, she disappeared from Witbank."

Hlathi also said that Makola was involved in numerous other fraud cases that included the sale of fraudulent tenders estimated at more than R1million to different people at Appel in Limpopo.

Makola is alleged to have defrauded people in Cullinan and Pretoria West.

Hlathi said they suspect that she was part of a syndicate. "Anyone with information on her whereabouts should contact me on 082-462-0804 or Inspector Akim Mbewe on 082-410-5599."