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Ghost workers used to loot R19m in Ters fraud

Dailydispatch · · 568 words · By Nandi Ntini
Covid-19 Relief Mismanagement Government accountability Financial Fraud
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/2026-04-15-ghost-workers-used-to-loot-r19m-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 2
info
“Only a R74 balance remained in Nikluis Manuel’s bank account five years after he used 662 ghost workers to claim R19.1m for Covid-19 employee relief fund.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail about the R74 balance and the R19.1m claim using 662 ghost workers appears in one web search result. While the fraud is mentioned in other sources, the specific bank balance detail is not corroborated by a second independent source.
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web search NEUTRAL — Only a R74 balance remained in Nikluis Manuel’s bank account five years after he used 662 ghost workers to claim R19.1m for Covid-19 employee relief fund.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-04-15-gho…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Unemployment Insurance Fund will open and begin processing the July/August Covid-19 Temporal Employee Relief Scheme Benefits applications from Monday, 17 August 2020.
https://www.labour.gov.za/uif-to-start-opening-and-processin…
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web search NEUTRAL — CNN's Alisyn Camerota speaks with Jodi Doering, a nurse from South Dakota who says some of her coronavirus patients often don't want to believe that Covid-19...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WicsWfTm1ZI
check_circle
“Ters was meant to enable the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to assist employers to pay their employees who have no income or lost some income during the pandemic.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm that the TERS scheme was designed to assist employers in paying employees who lost income during the pandemic.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the United States, a 401(k) plan is an employer-sponsored, defined-contribution, personal pension (savings) account, as defined in subsection 401(k) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Periodic empl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/401(k)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Employee Retention Credit (ERC), sometimes called the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), is a U.S. federal tax credit that was available to certain employers, most recently during the COVID-19 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_Retention_Credit
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A furlough (; from Dutch: verlof, "leave of absence") is a temporary cessation of paid employment that is intended to address the problems of a company or employer; these problems may be due to econom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furlough
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“his company, NakoMang Trading Enterprise CC, had not been registered when it applied and received the first Ters amount of R22,234,80 in May 2020.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are completely irrelevant (referring to the Detroit Lions NFL team) and do not provide information about NakoMang Trading Enterprise CC's registration status in May 2020.
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web search NEUTRAL — Detroit Lions Home: The official source of the latest Lions headlines, news, videos, photos, tickets, rosters, and gameday information.
https://www.detroitlions.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Follow the Detroit Lions with the latest news, live game updates, roster moves, full schedule, stats, standings, and player coverage — all from Sports Illustrated.
https://www.si.com/nfl/lions
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web search NEUTRAL — Get the latest Detroit Lions news. Find news, video, standings, scores and schedule information for the Detroit Lions
https://www.nfl.com/teams/detroit-lions/
info
“The company was only registered as a business in May 2023.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions payments to Mgobo between April 2022 and May 2023 in the context of Nakomang Trading Enterprise CC, but it does not explicitly state the company was only registered in May 2023. Other results are generic business listings.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ezogu Trading (Pty) Ltd. Nakomang Trading Enterprise CC.In addition, Ezikamshalaza Trading allegedly made multiple payments to Mgobo between April 2022 and May 2023. The SIU detailed the transaction f…
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3906670-siu-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to the home of Nakomang Trading Enterprise. Ke nako…IT’s time! Let us build your dream home. Be sure to get top quality services from us guaranteed from building, plastering, paving, roofing,p…
https://www.nakomangtrading.co.za/
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web search NEUTRAL — Construction company Nakomang Trading Enterprise Cc Sandton, Kikuyu Road, 6, +27 11 036 12 15. Get directions in Yandex Maps. Business hours unknown. Add. Edit information.
https://yandex.com/maps/org/nakomang_trading_enterprise_cc/1…
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“The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was recently granted a preservation order by the Special Tribunal to recoup the money from Manuel and his associates”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm that the SIU obtained preservation orders from the Special Tribunal to recover funds from Manuel and his associates.
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web search NEUTRAL — The SIU was recently granted a preservation order by the Special Tribunal to recoup the money from Manuel and his associates, who include his partner Khanyi Angel Nokukhanya, to whom Manuel transferre…
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-04-16-shell-company-flee…
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web search NEUTRAL — SIU secured a tribunal order freezing assets linked to UIF fraud, including properties and vehicles, to prevent disposal."Instead of paying workers as required, the funds were diverted into personal a…
https://www.jacarandafm.com/news/news/siu-secures-preservati…
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web search NEUTRAL — The SIU has secured preservation orders to freeze assets worth millions of rand, as part of efforts to recover more than R19 million allegedly defrauded from the UIF through the COVID-19 TERS Scheme.
https://www.atnews.co.za/siu-freezes-assets-in-r19m-uif-ters…
info
“Manuel transferred over R570,000 to [Khanyi Angel Nokukhanya] to facilitate the purchase of an apartment in Turfontein in October 2023.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The detail regarding the transfer of over R570,000 to Khanyi Angel Nokukhanya for a Turfontein apartment is mentioned in one specific source. Other results for this claim are irrelevant (NPR, YouTube).
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web search NEUTRAL — Nikluis Manuel’s company was registered three years after he had already received more than R19m in employee relief funds for 662 workers he did not have. Manuel’s company Nakomang Enterprise CC is at…
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-04-16-shell-company-flee…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sponsor Message. Scientists have detected more than 900 drug ingredients in natural waterways around the world, from antibiotics to antidepressants. Many of these drugs, especially ones that act on th…
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5359433/anxiety-drugs-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — Bookstores have always driven me crazy. So much to read and so little time! And now with our lives chock full of CONTENT--Netlflix, podcasts, social media, Y...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIW5jBrrsS0
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“SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho said the case forms part of a much broader probe into fraudulent claims linked to Ters, with the overall value of R148m.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources confirm that SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho linked this case to a broader probe into fraudulent TERS claims totaling approximately R148 million.
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web search NEUTRAL — The SIU intends to recover losses suffered by the UIF, which total more than R148.4 million across multiple entities implicated in fraudulent TERS claims. SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho said the move…
https://www.atnews.co.za/siu-freezes-assets-in-r19m-uif-ters…
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web search NEUTRAL — More Than R18 Million Allegedly Funnelled Through Accounts. According to the SIU, investigations revealed that Mgobo received a total of approximately R18 632 335 through personal and business account…
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3906670-siu-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho said the case forms part of a much broader probe into fraudulent claims linked to Ters, with the overall value of R148m.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-04-15-gho…
info
“UIF made 11 deposits into Manuel’s bank account from May 2020 until October 2023.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While sources confirm that fraudulent claims totaling R19.1 million were made and that Manuel used the funds, none of the provided evidence specifies that exactly '11 deposits' were made between May 2020 and October 2023.
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web search NEUTRAL — Business owner, Nikluis Manuel. The SIU has obtained preservation orders from the Special Tribunal over assets worth millions, after its investigation into fraudulent claims amounting to R19,183,197.3…
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-04-16-shell-company-flee…
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web search NEUTRAL — The SIU’s investigation revealed that Mr Nikluis Manuel, director of Nako Mang, purchased vehicles in cash immediately after UIF disbursements and retained portions of the funds as “commission.”
https://www.siu.org.za/siu-secures-preservation-orders-in-an…
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web search NEUTRAL — The SIU further alleges that the company’s director, Nikluis Manuel, used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase vehicles in cash shortly after UIF payments were made. A portion of the funds was …
https://www.atnews.co.za/siu-freezes-assets-in-r19m-uif-ters…
help
“Manuel submitted fraudulent application on behalf of 662 ghost employees.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this specific claim in the search results.
help
“the company did not have a single employee and did not comply with legal requirements and was effectively “none-existent”.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this specific claim in the search results.
schedule
“When a Sowetan team visited the company’s offices in Sunninghill, northern Johannesburg, we learnt that the “business” had vacated the building about four years ago.”
PENDING
schedule
“The SIU has since submitted criminal referrals to the NPA for further action.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.