A 31-year-old Ugandan traditional healer living in South Africa illegally has been handed a 30-year prison term for defrauding a miner of his R955 300 pension money under the pretense that it would multiply into millions.

Sophia Najjia appeared in court on Monday on charges of unfair business practice, defeating the ends of justice, fraud, and illegal immigration.

She was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison for defrauding the mine employee out of R955 300 of his pension money back in 2020.

The 54-year-old miner, who is a Mozambican national met and fell in love with a lady at one of the mine premises in Welkom where he lived.

The young lady introduced the mine employee to her sister, Najjia, who happened to be a traditional healer. They then visited Najjia’s house because the young lady said she wanted to show the mine employee something at Tana Street in Doorn, Welkom.

When they arrived at the house, the man was told to buy a so-called “miracle box” worth R2 000 from the traditional healer. Two days later, he returned to Najjia’s house and gave her the money for the ‘’miracle box’’.

The traditional healer then “demonstrated” how the miracle box worked. According to Free State police spokesperson Captain Stephen Thakeng, the man was asked to put a coin inside the box and then close it.

Najjia then prayed over the box, and when she opened it, there was a large sum of money inside, which the man was told belonged to him, Najjia then encouraged him to quit his job so he could make more money from the “miracle box”.

The man retired from his job in August 2020 and received his provident fund money worth R689 000 in October 2020 and handed it over to Najjia to put inside the “miracle box”.

“On 4 November 2020, he made another investment of R12 300, which was the remainder of the money in his bank account, and was told to wait for further instructions from the traditional healer.”

The man was then told to return to his hometown in Mozambique and collect soil from his yard, which he would then mix with the money in the “magic box” to allow the ancestors to multiply the money into millions.

He returned to South Africa and the ladies were nowhere to be found, he became suspicious and went to Welkom police station to register a case.” 

After a police search, Najjia was traced and arrested on 23 January 2021.

Najjia was sentenced to 30-years imprisonment. Her sister, who is the man’s girlfriend, is still at large.