Fugitive Fraudster Finally Caught: How a 10-Year Manhunt Ended at OR Tambo Airport

For ten years, a convicted fraudster moved unnoticed through South Africa, until Tuesday morning, when his luck finally ran out at OR Tambo International Airport.

Evaristo Kazingizi Kudaskwashe, now 35, had been a wanted man since 2016. Convicted of financial fraud in Gqeberha, he skipped court before sentencing and vanished. This week, he resurfaced in the most high-security transit hub in the country and walked straight into the hands of the law.

A Long Game of Cat and Mouse

Kudaskwashe’s criminal activities date back to 2015, when he was employed at a fuel station convenience store in Wells Estate, Gqeberha. Instead of simply serving customers, he allegedly used a skimming device to steal cardholder data from unsuspecting patrons.

What followed was a series of calculated withdrawals and purchases using eight cloned bank cards, resulting in more than R108,000 in losses for Standard Bank and Nedbank. That might not sound like a lot in the age of multimillion-rand state capture scandals, but in 2015, R108,000 could buy a small car or a full year of tertiary tuition.

He was arrested that same year and convicted in 2016, but before the judge could hand down his sentence, he disappeared.

Ten Years on the Run, Under the Radar

What makes this case unusual is how quietly Kudaskwashe managed to evade capture. Unlike high-profile fugitives who flee the country or flaunt their lifestyles online, he stayed almost completely off the grid.

Social media detectives on X (formerly Twitter) reacted with a mix of disbelief and humor:

“A whole decade? Man was living life on silent mode.”
“Imagine hiding for 10 years only to get caught at the airport like a rookie.”

Authorities are still investigating whether he was attempting to leave the country when he was spotted by Movement Control Officers at OR Tambo. Either way, his quiet run came to a loud end when the Hawks, OR Tambo security, and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit swooped in to arrest him.

Back to Where It All Began

Following his brief appearance at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on September 25, Kudaskwashe is being transported back to the Eastern Cape to face the music. His case will now continue at the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on September 29, 2025.

Unlike last time, he won’t have the luxury of disappearing again, he’s being held as a “prisoner in transit.”

A Reminder for Would-Be Fraudsters

While South Africa is often criticized for long delays in criminal cases, this arrest is a rare example of persistence paying off. The Hawks may move slowly, but as many X users joked this week –“They don’t forget.”

Whether Kudaskwashe was planning a new life abroad or simply passing through OR Tambo, his decade-long escape has officially come to an end.

And if there’s one lesson from this case, it’s this:

You can run from justice, but not forever.

{Source: IOL}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com