The Manzini Magistrate's Court in Eswatini has handed down a 12-year prison sentence to a 19-year-old man, Mpendulo Brian Kunene, for perpetrating a series of facata scams that resulted in a combined loss of E12,086 for four victims. Kunene pleaded guilty to eight counts of cybercrime and money laundering. The sentencing comes during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which aims to educate individuals and organizations about online safety.
Kunene's crimes took place in July 2026, when he targeted victims across different parts of Eswatini. Using convincing stories about compromised mobile-money accounts, he persuaded his victims to follow instructions on their phones, which ultimately led to financial losses. His actions were in contravention of the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Act No. 6 of 2022 and the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011.
The first incident occurred on July 15, 2026, in Bhunya, Manzini region, where Kunene told Lucia Zikalala that her mobile-money account had been used to borrow E95,000. He instructed her to press certain USSD codes on her cellphone to clear the purported loan, resulting in a financial loss of E5,588. Similar incidents occurred in Lomahasha, Mbabane, and again in Mbabane on July 25 and 27, 2026.
Eswatini has seen a significant rise in cyber-related losses, with the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) reporting losses exceeding E15.9 million in one year. Mobile-money fraud, phishing, identity theft, and online scams are among the threats highlighted by ESCCOM. The Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) also reported losses of over E8.5 million to cybercrime between September 2024 and September 2025.
Kunene was arrested on August 9, 2026, at Logoba in Matsapha and made his first court appearance on August 10, 2026. A black Redmi cellphone and Eswatini MTN and Swazi Mobile SIM cards were detained by the police as part of the exhibits. In mitigation, Kunene pleaded for leniency, citing his status as an orphan and his responsibility for a two-month-old child and an unemployed mother.
The court sentenced Kunene to two years' imprisonment with a fine option of E5,000 on each of the first four counts and one year imprisonment with a fine option of E1,000 on each of the remaining counts. The sentences total 12 years' imprisonment, with a corresponding fine option of E24,000. The case highlights the growing concern of social engineering in cybercrime.
The sentencing of Kunene serves as a deterrent to those engaging in cybercrime, particularly facata scams. The case demonstrates how criminals manipulate victims into voluntarily providing information or carrying out instructions on their own devices. With more citizens using mobile phones and digital platforms for banking and communication, the threat of cybercrime continues to escalate.
Key points
- The 19-year-old perpetrator was sentenced to 12 years in prison or a fine of E24,000 for defrauding four people using the facata scam.
- Eswatini has seen significant cyber-related losses, with reported losses exceeding E15.9 million in one year.
- The case highlights the growing concern of social engineering in cybercrime, where criminals manipulate victims into providing information or carrying out instructions on their own devices.
