A KwaZulu-Natal man has been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for defrauding people to the tune of R95,000, with the promise that they would get jobs.

Siyabonga Dladla appeared in the Durban magistrate's court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to fraud, theft of a motor vehicle and possession of an unlicensed firearm. 

“The fraud count relates to him defrauding various complainants of R95,000, as an administration fee for them to secure employment,” said KZN National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara. 

Prosecutors referred to him as a “serial criminal” who had been defrauding people since 2011 up until he was arrested in March this year. 

The theft charge related to a car he had stolen from a panel beater.

“Dladla stole a motor vehicle from a panel beater on the pretext of wanting to test drive the car, valued at R100,000. He left the salesperson on the roadside and drove off,” said Kara.