Alleged bogus faith healer in court for fraud

Ugandan national Habib Bumba Bumba, 46, appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Bellville before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, charged with fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.

 

He was not asked to plead and was warned to appear in court again on September 18.

 

According to the charge sheet, the victim and his daughter approached Bumba after he had advertised his services in a magazine.

 

The victim believed that his home in Strandfontein was filled with bad spirits.

 

The charge sheet tells how Bumba, also known as Sheikh S M Salim, and a man known only as Mussa, prayed at the victim’s home in order to rid it of the evil spirits.

 

However, according to Bumba, the prayers did not work and he then advised the victim to sell his home and buy another.

 

After the sale of the house, the victim and his daughter went to Bumba’s office for a reading from the Quran, at which point Bumba requested R400,000 from the proceeds of the sale.

 

Bumba was to pray on the money before the victim used it to buy another house.

 

The money was placed in a portable lock-up safe and the key was given to the victim for safekeeping.

 

Prosecutor Denzyl Combrink alleges Bumba was to return the money to the victim a week later, but did not do so at all.

 

When the victim’s daughter queried the delay in paying back the money, Bumba said he was away on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and would give back the money on his return.

 

While the victim waited for Bumba’s return, Mussa requested an additional R10,450, for the slaughter of a sheep as an offering, which the victim also paid.

 

However, the victim was unable to reach Bumba again.

 

The State alleges that it was only after the victim’s daughter managed to obtain Bumba’s email address and pretended to be someone else in need of prayer, that she was given a different cellphone number and asked to meet Bumba at an address in Bellville.

 

According to the charge sheet, Bumba was arrested when the victim reported his experience to the police, and identified him at the Bellville address.

 

The State alleges that the victim never recovered his money.

ANA
File photo: Gallo Images