According to SAPS statement: Dawn Celeste Pieterson (46) was convicted by Calvinia Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 and was finally sentenced by the same Court on Monday, 26 January 2026.
Pieterson was found guilty on all nine counts of fraud, read with the provisions of section 99, 103, and 224 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1977 as well as two counts of contravention of Section 31 (1) (d) of Birth and Death Registration Act 51 of 1992.
Pieterson’s misdeeds took place between February 2019 and September 2022 when the accused person was an employee of the Department of Home Affairs based in Calvinia.
As part of her duties(day to day task), she had access to the national population register[data base of the citizens].
Pieterson took funeral covers from reputable insurance companies and nominated herself as a beneficiary.
To benefit, she manipulated the national population register by falsely issuing BI-1663 forms (notice of death form) to reflect the fictitious death of the victims.
The system registered the affected persons as deceased, resulting in a plethora of problems in the victims’ day to day lives.
Four Insurances companies suffered a combined loss of R334 634 as a result of unlawful funeral claims.
On charges[allegations laid against her] of Fraud, the accused was sentenced to five (5) years direct imprisonment.
On contravention of Birth and Death Registration Act taken together for sentencing, the accused was sentenced to twelve (12) months imprisonment and suspended for five (5) years.
According to the statement shared by officials; accused was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
BY LUCKY SEANEGO
