A WOMAN in Eswatini has been arrested for fraud after allegedly receiving 570,000 rand (over $30,000) in child maintenance for a child that did not exist. Babongile Mkhonta, 35, from Makhonza, is accused of defrauding Sihle Ndlovu, her former partner, by making him pay child support for five years for a non-existent child.
According to the eSwatini-based publication, Swaziland News, Mkhonta who is now married, claimed that Ndlovu sent her money electronically and he did so voluntarily.Mkhonta, who is now married, reportedly claimed that Ndlovu voluntarily sent her the money. However, following an investigation, authorities discovered that Mkhonta had been receiving monthly payments of 5,000 rand from Ndlovu since 2019, along with additional expenses that amounted to over 274,000 rand.
Arrest and investigation
The case came to light after Ndlovu filed a complaint in March 2024. Mkhonta was arrested on October 10, 2024, after a lengthy investigation revealed that she had shown a child to Ndlovu’s family in 2022 to maintain the facade. However, when asked to present the child in court, Mkhonta failed to do so and was rearrested.
During her bail application, Mkhonta denied the charges, stating that Ndlovu sent the money voluntarily and that she never explicitly asked for child maintenance. ‘I never stole any money from the complainant. He would, on different occasions, voluntarily send money to me as we were in a relationship at the time,’ she told the court.
Strong defence claimed
Mkhonta plans to plead not guilty at trial, asserting she has a strong defence against the charges. She also informed the court that she is currently undergoing medical treatment in Durban, suggesting her health could play a role in her legal strategy.
This case has raised concerns about how child maintenance laws are enforced and the need for greater verification in support claims to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
