A KTC man’s desperate attempt to escape his escalating financial difficulties has left him with even more problems.
Bongani Maso was conned out of his money by “spiritual” healers more than a month ago after responding to a newspaper advert.
Among other things, he was advised to sell his vehicle, which according to the “healers” had an “evil”and invisible snake”.
To make matters worse, the “healers” then took away all the money he made from the sale, plunging him into more misery.
In an interview with Vukani, Mr Maso said he had been experiencing serious financial difficulties when he came across an advert in a daily newspaper offering financial recovery.
Headlined “Stop suffering, financial fix expert…Mama Shina…success”, the advert offered, among others, a spiritual loan, magic stick and help to achieve whatever a person needs in life. It also promises results.
Mr Maso said he felt the advert spoke to his situation. He immediately made a call for an appointment. The “healers” agreed to meet in Thornton the following day.
After driving from KTC to Vasco, Mr Maso said the “spiritual healer” and her accomplice led him to a big house. Inside the house he was led into another “dark and small” room inside. The pair lit up candles and began “propheting” over his life.
He said he could relate to all the things that they said.
They also told him that his car had an “evil and invisible snake”, meaning he would have to sell it. He said they told him once he sold the car all his burdens would be lifted. Mr Maso agreed to sell the car.
At this stage, he said the pair extinguished the candle flames and continued to “prophecy” in the dark.
After a while, he said they lit the candles, and suddenly a briefcase loaded with cash appeared. They told him it had been delivered by his “fathers”.
However, for him to get the money he would need to sell his car first and bring the earnings to them. They would cleanse the money since it was from an “evil sale” by mixing it with the money in the briefcase. “They told me not to worry about the car because the money that I would get is a lot more,” said Mr Maso. He was ecstatic at being able to see an end to his misery.
The following day, he took his vehicle to Access Park, in Stikland where it was bought for R13 000.
He said the bogus healer phoned him while he was in Stikland. When he told him that the car had been purchased, the healer rushed to him.
Mr Maso said the deal was that they would go back to Vasco to cleanse the money and pick up the rest.
Instead the healer drove Mr Maso to Nyanga. On arrival he said the healer took out a black hard cover and ordered him to put the money inside.
He left with the money to cleanse it. That was the last time he saw the healer. “When I phoned him the next day, he did not answer,” said Mr Maso.
After numerous phone calls he said the healer answered, and advised him to sell his house. He said he told him that the house was also “dirty” with evil spirits and his life would only change if he sold the house.
“I blatantly refused. I wanted to see the money first,” he said. He also asked him to resign from work. “I made a promise, but inside I said never,” said Mr Maso. Since then he has not seen the healer again.
Instead, he said the healer told him to stop calling him. Mr Maso expressed his disappointment in the newspaper advert. “One normally believes everything that appears in the papers, but I do not understand how the newspaper can advertise something like this,” he said.
Numerous undercover attempts by the Vukani team to meet the “healers” failed. In a telephonic interview they confirmed that they had offices in Vasco. They also agreed to meet Vukani in their offices on Plein Street, in Cape Town, for a R300 consultation fee. They, however, failed to pitch up for the appointment.
