Swapo swindler forges Shaningwa’s signature
Muronga in hot water for duping girlfriend
"You are encouraged to get married before January 2021 [because] the presidency wants your marriage certificate," reads one of the fake letters used to swindle the girlfriend.
Secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) in Kavango West, Boniphatius Muronga, allegedly forged the signature of Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa and used President Hage Geingob’s name to swindle the mother of his child out of monies amounting to N$105 000 between 2019 and 2020.
Muronga was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he was granted bail of N$8 000.
The 34-year-old faces 16 counts of fraud.
He allegedly used Swapo Party letterheads, stamps and Shaningwa’s signature to write fake letters to himself in order to defraud his then partner of her money.
In one such letter, dated 1 October 2020 and bearing Shaningwa’s supposed signature and a party stamp, Muronga was allegedly asked to pay a N$40 000 deposit for a bakkie the party was allocating to him.
In his quest to defraud more money from his girlfriend, Muronga allegedly concocted another undated letter inviting him to State House for a meeting with Geingob on 17 October 2020 to discuss his possible appointment as an ambassador or executive director.
“You are encouraged to get married before January 2021 [because] the presidency wants your marriage certificate,” the fake letter stated.
‘Govt work, not Swapo work’
With no respect for the dead, Muronga allegedly faked another letter – in order to defraud his partner – which claimed that Geingob invited him to Windhoek to moderate the memorial service of late youth leader Mandela Kapere and that he was assured of a Rate 1 subsistence and travel (S&T) claim.
He must claim the money through the Office of the Prime Minister, the letter stated, “because you are doing government work and not Swapo Party work”.
Another letter, purported to be from the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, supposedly demanded that he pay N$5 600 within two days of it being written, or he would lose fishing quotas allocated to him.
In another, supposedly from then fisheries minister Albert Kawana, it is indicated that Muronga had been appointed as a board member of the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust.
Muronga yesterday appeared before magistrate Sonia Sampofu, who granted him bail.
The matter was remanded to 29 September for further police investigations and for the accused to acquire legal representation.
Thousands of dollars
According to the complainant, who opted to remain anonymous, she was left with no other option but to have Muronga arrested.
The woman, a government employee, said she met Muronga in 2018 and the pair became romantically involved.
In 2019, the accused allegedly showed her documents from the Swapo Party which indicated that he was awarded a tender worth N$1.9 million, and said he needed funds to start the work.
Convinced by the letter sporting Shaningwa’s signature, the complainant said she gave the accused N$45 000.
“He showed me the letters and I was convinced because they looked so real. I then gave him N$45 000 in hopes that we are doing business and I will get my money back,” she said.
In the same year, she allegedly paid N$9 500 directly to a Swapo member of parliament for Muronga’s Volvo, which is now parked at her house.
In 2020, she gave the accused another N$12 000 after he allegedly convinced her that he was selected to become an ambassador, and needed money for training.
The complainant said in the same year, she also allegedly gave Muronga N$10 000 he asked for so he could go to South Africa – this time, he was reportedly selected to be part of a delegation to collect ballot papers that would be used in that year’s regional and local authority elections.
According to the complainant, the accused has not paid back any of the monies he ‘borrowed’ from her.
Suicide threat
Asked why she kept giving him money despite Muronga already owning her, she said they were dating and that the letters he produced seemed genuine.
“He would come to me with letters saying that the Swapo Party is busy discussing about his N$1.9 million tender. I believed him until such a time I had financial difficulties and started to ask for my money [back],” she said.
The complainant said in April 2021, she attempted to get her family to talk to Muronga about the money, but he allegedly refused to pay her back.
She said she also went to the police so they could make him pay her back, but the accused allegedly refused to meet with her.
“I was then forced to open a case against him in January. The police also failed me as they were reluctant to arrest him.
"On Sunday, I told them if they don’t arrest him, I will commit suicide. Only then did they start to act and arrested him,” she narrated.
Attempts to get comment from Muronga at the time of going to print were unsuccessful. Shaningwa said she had “no time for nonsense” when contacted for comment.
[email protected]
Muronga was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he was granted bail of N$8 000.
The 34-year-old faces 16 counts of fraud.
He allegedly used Swapo Party letterheads, stamps and Shaningwa’s signature to write fake letters to himself in order to defraud his then partner of her money.
In one such letter, dated 1 October 2020 and bearing Shaningwa’s supposed signature and a party stamp, Muronga was allegedly asked to pay a N$40 000 deposit for a bakkie the party was allocating to him.
In his quest to defraud more money from his girlfriend, Muronga allegedly concocted another undated letter inviting him to State House for a meeting with Geingob on 17 October 2020 to discuss his possible appointment as an ambassador or executive director.
“You are encouraged to get married before January 2021 [because] the presidency wants your marriage certificate,” the fake letter stated.
‘Govt work, not Swapo work’
With no respect for the dead, Muronga allegedly faked another letter – in order to defraud his partner – which claimed that Geingob invited him to Windhoek to moderate the memorial service of late youth leader Mandela Kapere and that he was assured of a Rate 1 subsistence and travel (S&T) claim.
He must claim the money through the Office of the Prime Minister, the letter stated, “because you are doing government work and not Swapo Party work”.
Another letter, purported to be from the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, supposedly demanded that he pay N$5 600 within two days of it being written, or he would lose fishing quotas allocated to him.
In another, supposedly from then fisheries minister Albert Kawana, it is indicated that Muronga had been appointed as a board member of the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust.
Muronga yesterday appeared before magistrate Sonia Sampofu, who granted him bail.
The matter was remanded to 29 September for further police investigations and for the accused to acquire legal representation.
Thousands of dollars
According to the complainant, who opted to remain anonymous, she was left with no other option but to have Muronga arrested.
The woman, a government employee, said she met Muronga in 2018 and the pair became romantically involved.
In 2019, the accused allegedly showed her documents from the Swapo Party which indicated that he was awarded a tender worth N$1.9 million, and said he needed funds to start the work.
Convinced by the letter sporting Shaningwa’s signature, the complainant said she gave the accused N$45 000.
“He showed me the letters and I was convinced because they looked so real. I then gave him N$45 000 in hopes that we are doing business and I will get my money back,” she said.
In the same year, she allegedly paid N$9 500 directly to a Swapo member of parliament for Muronga’s Volvo, which is now parked at her house.
In 2020, she gave the accused another N$12 000 after he allegedly convinced her that he was selected to become an ambassador, and needed money for training.
The complainant said in the same year, she also allegedly gave Muronga N$10 000 he asked for so he could go to South Africa – this time, he was reportedly selected to be part of a delegation to collect ballot papers that would be used in that year’s regional and local authority elections.
According to the complainant, the accused has not paid back any of the monies he ‘borrowed’ from her.
Suicide threat
Asked why she kept giving him money despite Muronga already owning her, she said they were dating and that the letters he produced seemed genuine.
“He would come to me with letters saying that the Swapo Party is busy discussing about his N$1.9 million tender. I believed him until such a time I had financial difficulties and started to ask for my money [back],” she said.
The complainant said in April 2021, she attempted to get her family to talk to Muronga about the money, but he allegedly refused to pay her back.
She said she also went to the police so they could make him pay her back, but the accused allegedly refused to meet with her.
“I was then forced to open a case against him in January. The police also failed me as they were reluctant to arrest him.
"On Sunday, I told them if they don’t arrest him, I will commit suicide. Only then did they start to act and arrested him,” she narrated.
Attempts to get comment from Muronga at the time of going to print were unsuccessful. Shaningwa said she had “no time for nonsense” when contacted for comment.
[email protected]
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