City of Tshwane Employee ‘Prince’ Arrested for Using Stolen Identity After 13 Years of Service
Pretoria – A City of Tshwane employee, whose fingerprints did not align with those associated with his Green ID book when he attempted to apply for a Smart ID, has been apprehended after revealing that he was an imposter using another person’s identity.
The individual, who was casually referred to as “Prince” at work, had been employed by the City of Tshwane for approximately 13 years when the discrepancies were recently uncovered.
The situation escalated when the Office of the Chief Operations Officer (COO) tasked the City of Tshwane’s Forensic Services Division to investigate suspicions of identity fraud.
In a statement released on Sunday, 17 August 2025, the City of Tshwane detailed how the imposter managed to evade detection for an extended period: ”Investigations revealed that the individual had been employed by the city in 2012, using the name Mr. Mohlaume Geoffrey Mamabolo, despite inconsistencies with the official identity document on record.”
The statement continued: “The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that the legitimate Mr. Mamabolo’s identity document was issued in 2013, and the corresponding identity number had been blocked after ‘Prince’ tried to apply for a smart ID card.
“His fingerprints did not match the records in the Home Affairs database, raising concerns that he might be a foreign national.”
In the early hours of Friday, 15 August 2025, officials from the City of Tshwane’s Forensic Services Division and officers from the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) confronted “Prince” at the water treatment plant.
The City of Tshwane reported that Prince was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the ID discrepancy.
He was unable to recall details about his upbringing or education, and ultimately confessed that he was not Mr. Mamabolo.
“He further admitted that the fraudulent ID document was given to him years ago by someone in Polokwane,” the statement explained.
Investigators also found that “Prince” had no permanent residence and had been living on municipal property since he started working there.
“Given the prima facie evidence of stolen identity, misrepresentation, violation of the Immigration Act, and fraud, TMPD officers arrested him and transferred him to the South African Police Service in Lyttelton.”
Prince is scheduled to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 18 August 2025.
The City of Tshwane emphasized that the arrest was carried out swiftly “due to the security risk posed by his continued presence at the water treatment facility.”
The COO’s office, in collaboration with Group Human Capital Management, will initiate appropriate labor relations procedures to further address the situation, according to the City of Tshwane.