As we approach the end of the year, many stokvel clubs will be distributing contributions to their members. This normally involves large sums of money that are distributed as cash payouts. We are urging members of stokvel clubs to rather transfer these funds electronically to their members’ accounts to avoid them from being robbed of their cash.
During last year we had many stokvel clubs that reported that they were robbed after they had withdrawn cash for distribution. We also had many members of stokvel’s reporting that they were robbed at their homes after they received their contributions from the stokvel. It is very evident that people are robbed by individuals that are close to them who are aware that they will be receiving such a payout. During this past weekend we have already had a case where the victim was robbed of about half a million rand of the stokvel money at her house at KwaMakhutha before it was distributed among the members.
To avoid becoming a victim of crime we are urging members of the community to make use of electronic banking facilities when making payments and when receiving money. We also encourage employers to transfer their staff’s bonuses and salaries into their accounts during December as carrying large sums of money will expose them to criminal elements.