Zimbabwean builder who advertised ‘fake work’ on Facebook scams Cape Town woman of R25,000

A Cape Town woman who resides in Pelikan Park woman is speaking out about her experience with an alleged scammer who disappeared with R25,000 she had paid him to construct a Nutec house, only to have him clean her mother’s yard instead.

The Daily Voice reports that 38-year-old woman, who chose to remain anonymous, shared her story as a cautionary tale to warn others of potential scams.

Recalling the incident, the woman explained that she had been contacted by a man named Carlos Mapurati from KB Project after expressing interest in Nutec houses on Facebook Marketplace.

They agreed on a design, and she transferred R23,000 to his bank account, with an additional R2,000 to commence the project.

However, after the payment was made, Carlos and his team only cleared the area for construction before disappearing.

Reflecting on the deception, the woman expressed her frustration, stating, “His guys were working and cleaning the yard. I just came out of the night shift so I fell asleep. I then woke up and asked my mom where they were.”

She added, “They told her they were taking the rubble away, and that is the last time I saw them.”

Despite initial impressions of Carlos seeming “legit,” the woman discovered his true identity as Knowledge Bhokwani from Zimbabwe after he blocked her on social media.

Determined to seek justice, she reported the incident to the police and devised a plan to apprehend him with the help of authorities.

After creating a fake Facebook profile to lure the scammer, the woman successfully exposed him and assisted in his arrest.

Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie confirmed the arrest of a 31-year-old Zimbabwean citizen on theft charges in November 2023, shedding light on the legal repercussions faced by the alleged scammer.

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