The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Friday, convicted and sentenced Scebi Thabiso Nene (37) to five years in prison for orchestrating a nationwide cybercrime scheme targeting top government officials.
Nene’s crimes, spanning September 2022 to May 2023, involved illegally obtaining official portraits of President Cyril Ramaphosa, former Police Minister Bheki Cele and his spouse, and ex-Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole, which he digitally altered by grafting their faces onto explicit material.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo confirmed the accused circulated the doctored images through WhatsApp groups and official government email addresses, causing reputational harm to the victims.
The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in Gauteng traced Nene to Pietermaritzburg after a formal complaint was lodged, leading to his arrest in late 2023.
Following initial proceedings at the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, the case was transferred to Pietermaritzburg where Nene faced 254 charges.
He received five years for 67 counts of cyber forgery and three years for 186 counts of unlawful data disclosure, with sentences running concurrently.
The ruling marks one of South Africa’s most severe penalties under the Cybercrimes Act to date.
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