Bathobile Mlangeni, who used to work as a security guard at the Mall of Africa in Midrand, was found guilty of stealing R4 million while on the job.
CCTV cameras caught her leaving the cash depot with the money in black plastic bags. More than two years ago, Mlangeni stole something and then ran away.
Even though her name and picture were in the papers, the former guard was able to stay away from the police for more than two years. But on January 6, 2022, Mlangeni was caught by the Gauteng Flying Squad in Zola, Soweto.
Mlangeni was accused of taking the money while she was working and leaving with it. She told the court that she and a coworker named Lisa Galdien planned the theft.
Mlangeni said that she and Galdien knew there would be extra cash while they were on the job, so they put some of it in a plastic bag. Mlangeni went to get the money after her shift.
While she was on the run, her brother called her and told her to turn herself in. Instead, she gave him her share of R2 million and hasn’t seen him since. Mlangeni was picked up the day after she gave the money to her brother.
Mlangeni couldn’t say anything about where the stolen money or her brother were. She was caught at the Zola, Soweto, home of Vangille Dlamini, 82, where she had been staying.
Gogo Dlamini told the police that she didn’t know she was hiding a criminal until they showed up at her door. Mlangeni’s grandmother was a friend of Dlamini’s, so he was glad when she moved in with her.
Dlamini also said that Mlangeni did not spend a lot of money while he was staying with her. She said that the former security guard hardly had any clothes and would often ask her for R5 or R10 to buy airtime.
On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, the Alexandra Magistrates Court gave her an eight-year prison sentence for stealing. So far, none of the stolen money has been found.
