GQEBERHA- After more than a decade of delays, five members of the Jantjies family have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme that defrauded the Unemployment Insurance Fund(UIF) of almost R500 000.
The Gqeberha Commercial Crimes Court handed down the sentences on Friday,21 August bringing an end to a case that began in 2009 and involved 18 fraudulent UIF claims.
Dimitri Jantjies, 49, who the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Eastern Cape has identified as the mastermind of the scheme received an effective 12-year direct prison sentence.
His parents, Barbara Jantjies, 77 and Thomas Jantjies, 78, were each sentenced to five years imprisonment in terms of section 276(1)(i) of the Criminal Procedure Act, with each receiving an effective 10 months in custody before possible correctional supervision.
Dimitri’s wife, Tania Jantjies, 49 and relative Versinese Jantjies, 42, were each sentenced to four years under the same provision, with effective sentences of eight months.
According to NPA, Dimitri orchestrated the fraud with the assistance of his late sister, who was employed by the UIF at the time. The court heard that the pair exploited their access and influence within the Department of Employment and Labour to ensure that fraudulent claims were processed and approved.
The scheme involved the manipulation of official UIF documentation, including employer declaration forms, to unlawfully divert benefits.
The NPA said other members of the family recruited people to provide bank accounts through which the fraudulent UIF payments were channelled.
“None of the account holders was aware that their bank accounts were being used to facilitate the fraudulent payment of UIF benefits,” the NPA said, describing the operation as deliberate and concealed.
The single fraud count covered 18 fraudulent UIF claims, resulting in an actual loss of approximately R500 000, while the potential prejudice exceeded R110 000.
In addition the decade-long trial saw 16 witnesses take the stand, while two claimants died before the proceedings could be concluded.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Samkelo Mtwana welcomed the sentences, saying the outcome demonstrated the NPA’s commitment to holding people accountable for abusing state resources for personal gain.
“I commend Senior State Advocate Wilhelm De Villiers for his diligence, skill and perseverance in securing the successful finalisation of this complex and long-running matter,” Mtwana said.
The NPA said it remained committed to tackling fraud, corruption and money laundering, particularly offences that undermine public institutions and deprive vulnerable beneficiaries of resources intended to support them.
The sentences bring to a close one of the Eastern Cape’s longest-running UIF fraud matters, with the court ultimately holding the accused accountable for a scheme that took years to unravel.
Sthabile Sambela
22 August 2026
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