21 YEAR OLD PROPHET BONANG JAILED FOR 18 MONTHS

Jwaneng magistrate, Mr Odirile Mokgatle on Thursday sentenced Prophet Bonang Ngwenya to 18 months in prison and fined him P1000 after finding him guilty on four counts of personation, giving false information and undue influence, false declaration for passport and obtaining registration by false pretences

Prophet Ngwenya, who also identifies himself as Neo Tanka was ordered to forfeit all the documents he falsely obtained, being a national identity card, passport and driver’s license to the state.

Magistrate Mokgatle said that upon completion of the prison term, the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs would deal with the issue of Prophet Ngwenya’s nationality as he was not considered a Motswana.

The particulars of the offences are that in March 2016, Ngwenya made an intent to defraud the state by presenting himself as Neo Tanka in his application for a national identity card. The following month, he is said to have falsely made a declaration for purposes of procuring a passport, while in July 2017 he willfully obtained a driver’s licence under false pretences.

When passing sentence, Mr Mokgatle said that the main issue in the case hinged on the real identity of the accused.

He said although the accused was adamant that he was Neo Tanka, the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was in fact Bonang or Bonani Ngwenya from Zimbabwe.