Two women, Jeanette Sylvia Cronje, 33, and Alicia Van Der Walt, 36, have been granted R5,000 bail each after appearing in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. They face fraud charges for allegedly using the banking details of employees who had left their company to divert more than R1.6 million into their own accounts. The pair were arrested by the Hawks’ Klerksdorp-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit following an investigation into alleged fraudulent transactions.
According to Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Nkosinathi Ndlovu, the alleged fraud occurred between 2022 and 2024 while Cronje and Van Der Walt were employed by Klerksdorp Business Consultants and Brokers. Cronje allegedly served as head of payroll, while Van Der Walt was head of administration. The women are accused of using details of employees who left the company to make payments into their personal bank accounts.
The alleged scheme resulted in the company suffering losses exceeding R1.6 million. The matter was subsequently reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, which launched an investigation. Following the investigation, Cronje and Van Der Walt were arrested and charged with fraud. The case has been postponed to November 17, 2026, when the pair are expected to appear before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Klerksdorp.
The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit is responsible for investigating serious commercial crimes, including fraud and corruption. The unit’s efforts have led to the arrest of several individuals involved in high-profile cases of financial misconduct. In this case, the unit’s investigation led to the arrest of Cronje and Van Der Walt.
The alleged fraud case highlights the risks of financial misconduct in the workplace. Companies must implement robust internal controls to prevent such incidents from occurring. The case also underscores the importance of reporting suspicious transactions to the authorities. The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit encourages companies to report any suspicious activity.
The case has been postponed to November 17, 2026, when Cronje and Van Der Walt are expected to appear before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court. The pair were granted R5,000 bail each following their first court appearance. The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit is expected to continue its investigation into the alleged fraud.
The alleged payroll fraud case is not an isolated incident. There have been several cases of financial misconduct reported in South Africa recently. In one case, three people were arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly defrauding SARS of more than R1.8 million through fraudulent tax and VAT returns. The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit continues to investigate such cases.
Key points
- Two senior employees of a Klerksdorp company have been arrested and charged with fraud for allegedly diverting more than R1.6 million into their own accounts.
- The alleged fraud occurred between 2022 and 2024 while the women were employed by Klerksdorp Business Consultants and Brokers.
- The case has been postponed to November 17, 2026, when the pair are expected to appear before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Klerksdorp.
