North West duo out on bail for allegedly defrauding Sars R260K

It is alleged that Thami Pheto (35) and Johanna Van Niekerk (65) have defrauded the South African Revenue Services (Sars) R260 000. North West Police Spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said all of this started in 2020, and the duo was caught on Friday morning. Mathebula said it is alleged that van Niekerk manipulated tax certificates of Pheto’s colleagues, resulting in the loss of R260 000.

“It is alleged that between 2020 and 2022 Pheto, who is an educator at Botoka Technical School in Potchefstroom, collected tax certificates from his colleagues to file income tax returns on their behalf through e-filing,” said Mathebula. “Investigation revealed that Pheto took the collected tax certificates to Van Niekerk to do e-filing. Van Niekerk, who operates an internet cafe, allegedly manipulated the tax certificates and as a result, the South African Revenue Service suffered a loss of R260 000.” Mathebula added that reports indicate that 19 people unduly benefited from income tax returns filed with the accused’s assistance.

“Following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation, Pheto and Van Niekerk were arrested on Friday morning, 20 February 2026,” he said. “They appeared in court and were granted R5000 bail each. Their matter was postponed to 27 February 2026 for legal representation.” Consequences include stiff penalties, interest, and potential criminal prosecution under Section 234 for fraud or neglect, including non-compliance by tax practitioners.