A “rogue” estate agent is in hiding after allegedly swindling unsuspecting home buyers out of R1.9 million, leaving a trail of destroyed lives and shattered dreams. At least 20 alleged victims have come forward and many have opened fraud cases in a growing scandal involving estate agent Ester Smit of Ester Smit Eiendomme in Zeerust in the North West. The representative of the victims, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, has called for a prosecutor-directed arrest and the consolidation of more than 15 fraud cases reportedly opened against Smit with the police.
In correspondence to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the police and the department of human settlements, the representative provided a full evidence bundle, including SA Police Service case numbers, bank records, Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) correspondence, company documentation and trust records. According to the complaints, the cases have since been transferred to the commercial crime unit in Mahikeng, signalling what they describe as the seriousness and scale of the alleged fraud. The allegations include that Smit practised as a property practitioner without a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC) since 2018, received and retained client funds under false pretences and failed to reimburse victims despite repeated demands.
The complainants further allege that Smit is insolvent, has no immovable property registered in her personal name and has evaded authorities. Smit has stopped answering calls and e-mails and has allegedly been in hiding for weeks, citing illness. Her last known whereabouts is a farm outside Zeerust, according to information supplied to authorities.
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Multiple grievances were allegedly lodged with the PPRA over several years, warning that Smit, and at times her daughter, were operating without valid FFCs. Victims argue that the PPRA’s alleged inaction enabled the continued operation and expansion of the scheme, directly contributing to the mounting losses. Among the red flags is the registration of a new company, Ester Smit Eiendomme Properties, shortly after the alleged fraud was exposed, as well as the use of a bank account into which alleged victim funds were paid.
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