Makhado's mayor, Samuel Munyai, has apparently now also fallen victim to cellphone scammers. He is alerting the public and his contacts that his WhatsApp number had been hacked by people who are asking for money in his name.
Munyai first became aware of this issue on Tuesday, 6 December, when he was informed by family, friends and colleagues that they were receiving WhatsApp messages from his cellphone number, requesting them to send money (R3 000) via E-wallet.
"If anyone happens to receive a message from me (on WhatsApp) requesting money, please do not respond to it. I have requested IT specialists to investigate the incident and further strengthen the cyber security on my social media and all digital accounts to avoid a recurrence of this crime. We urge anyone who has been deliberately misled to disregard this scam and report its purveyors to the law-enforcement agencies," he said.