Teacher and Internet Café Owner Accused of Swindling SARS Out of R260,000 in Tax Scam

A Potchefstroom educator and a 65-year-old internet café owner have appeared in court on charges of defrauding the South African Revenue Service (SARS) of R260,000 by manipulating tax certificates and filing fraudulent returns.

Thami Pheto, 35, and Johanna Van Niekerk, 65, appeared in the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court on 20 February 2026 facing 19 counts of fraud and contravention of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 .

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

According to Hawks provincial spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula, the alleged fraud took place between 2020 and 2022 .

Pheto, an educator at Botoka Technical School in Potchefstroom, allegedly collected tax certificates from his colleagues in order to file income tax returns on their behalf through the SARS e-filing system .

He then allegedly took the collected certificates to Van Niekerk, who operates an internet café, to process the e-filing submissions .

The Hawks allege that Van Niekerk manipulated the tax certificates, resulting in an actual loss of R260,000 to SARS .

Who Benefited?

Authorities indicated that 19 individuals unduly benefitted from the income tax returns filed with the assistance of the accused .

The scheme appears to have involved inflating or falsifying claims to generate larger-than-legitimate refunds, with the proceeds allegedly shared among the participants .

Arrest and Bail

Following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit, the pair were arrested on the morning of 20 February 2026 .

They were each granted R5,000 bail, and the matter was postponed to 27 February 2026 for legal representation .

The Bigger Picture

The case highlights the vulnerability of SARS’s e-filing system to abuse by individuals with inside knowledge and access to taxpayer information. While SARS has invested heavily in fraud detection systems, schemes involving manipulated certificates and collusion between filers and processors remain a challenge.

For the 19 individuals who allegedly benefited, the consequences may extend beyond the loss of ill-gotten gains. SARS has the power to recover amounts fraudulently obtained, plus penalties and interest, and criminal charges could follow for those who knowingly participated.

For Pheto, a teacher entrusted with the education of young people, the charges carry particular weight. If convicted, he faces not only jail time but the permanent loss of a career built on public trust.

{Source: IOL}

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