Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe is calling on people looking for work not to fall prey to fraudsters impersonating government officials.
Some of the fraudsters would then demand money from desperate unemployed young people in exchange
for jobs or internships. The MEC was responding to reports of two young people who came to the DCSSL offices claiming that a certain woman, claiming to be a traffic officer in the department, swindled them out of nearly R4000 so that she can facilitate their enrolment into the Traffic Learnership Programme of the department.
The suspect has reportedly created a Facebook account where she lures unsuspecting people by promising them to assist with fastracking their applications into these learnerships. The two people who came to the department this morning allege that they started communicating with her two months ago. She then advised them to come to Mbombela yesterday in order to start training as traffic officers today (Monday).
The two young people ended staying overnight at their own cost and today brought the matter to the attention of the department.
MEC Shongwe condemns the action of the fraudsters in the strongest possible terms. He is also warning scammers to stop preying on vulnerable job seekers by making them pay for government jobs or internships.
The MEC has reiterated his call to members of the public to disregard such unscrupulous people and not
give them any money. He added that such rogue elements must be immediately reported to the police so that they are harshly dealt with.
"We should not allow ourselves to be tricked into paying money for government work or internships because there is no requirement for such. Applicants must follow the instructions clearly stated on the advertisements in order to avoid being taken advantage of," says Shongwe.
He add that such people should be arrested because they play on the vulnerabilities of the youth for their own selfish ends.
The Department placed an advertisement in the media inviting young people for the traffic learnership towards the end of January this year.
The process for the finalization of the enrolment in the programme is currently underway.
Ends.
Issued by Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Enquiries: Moeti Mmusi
Cell: 079 291 0664/ 084 411 3372
Or Kingdom Mabuza Cell: 082 350 7677