Durban - A domestic worker was arrested after she allegedly stole more than a R1 million in cash that her employer had won at a casino.
Nobukhosi Phakathi, 34, appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on theft charges related to money, jewellery and a gun that were stolen from an Umhlatuzana home.
Phakati, who had worked for her employer for more than three years, was arrested by Bayview police officers, who tracked her to her Eshowe home.
A large sum of money and a firearm were seized. The case was postponed to this week for further investigation.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele, the homeowner and his wife were not at home when the theft occurred.
Phakathi and other employees were reportedly working at the home.
“The owner received a call from another of his employees at the home, informing him that an employee had taken various possessions and left,” Mbele said.
“When the owner checked his safe he noticed that the cash and other valuables were missing.”
The homeowner, who asked not to be named fearing reprisals, said he had won the cash while playing roulette at Suncoast Casino.
“I won much cash around Valentine’s Day and locked it in my safe at home. I had more than R1million kept in the safe,” he said.
“We had visited a visa office when I got a message about an employee leaving home. I was in the process of arranging an overseas trip for my family.”
He said about R720 000 of the cash had been recovered.
Since the theft there had been numerous rumours about why he had had such a vast sum of cash at his home.
“I won the money playing roulette at Suncoast and I have documentation from the casino to prove that,” said the homeowner.
The Sunday Tribune has seen the document.