A bogus lawyer was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with the option of paying a R20,000 fine by the Bethal Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga on Thursday.
The court charged Doctor Sobetha (32) with impersonating a lawyer in a scam in which he received R40 000 from his “client”.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Magonseni Nkosi confirmed this information.
In 2019, according to Nkosi, Sobetha pretended to be a lawyer and attempted to file a bail application on behalf of his murder-charged client.
“According to information, the state prosecutor could pick up from his [Sobetha’s] arguments that something is not adding up,” said Nkosi.
“The court requested him to demonstrate his legal practitioner status, but he was unable to provide such proof.”
Nkosi stated that the members of the serious organised crime investigation unit based in Secunda, who were present in court, arrested Sobetha.
“The matter was referred to the Hawks’s Secunda-based serious commercial crime investigation unit for further investigation.
“The suspect, Sobetha, was granted bail in 2024 and never set foot in court again.”
He said after police conducted further investigations into Sobetha’s alleged fraud, members of the Hawks’ tactical operations management system were led to Durban, where Sobetha was arrested on May 22, 2025.
Rearrested for fraud conviction
“He was brought back to Mpumalanga, where he appeared before the Bethal Magistrate’s Court on May 30, 2025.
“On his second appearance, on June 5, 2025, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years imprisonment with an option to pay a R20 000 fine,” said Nkosi.
The court suspended two years of Sobetha’s four-year imprisonment for a five-year period, provided he does not face any similar charges.
The court further ordered Sobetha to pay back R40 000 that was unlawfully received from his client.
The court expects Sobetha to repay the money in monthly instalments of R3 000.
Major-General Nico Gerber, the Hawks’ head for Mpumalanga, cautioned the public to seek legal advice from qualified professionals.
“It is concerning if people are defrauded by someone like Sobetha whose formal education does not even go beyond high school level,” said Gerber.
Meanwhile, Nkosi reported that Sobetha was immediately re-arrested following his 2023 fraud conviction in Moroka, Soweto.
