People in Botshabelo are fuming after the promised groceries they were supposed to receive have not arrived. Residents had been paying monthly fees to Lebohang Society and Financial Service for groceries they were promised in December.
They were expecting the deliveries on 12 or 13 December 2024, but hours passed with no sign of Lebohang Mokatedi, the CEO of the society. The funds paid to Lebohang Society were intended to ease the burden of worrying about groceries in December.
Social media in Botshabelo is buzzing with complaints and anger directed at Lebohang. A flyer from the society outlined monthly fees for various packages, which residents had paid, expecting their selections to be delivered in December. Reports suggest that the impact has not been limited to Botshabelo alone, with the financial loss allegedly amounting to close to a million.
Many people have taken to social media, sharing images and expressing frustration while searching for Lebohang, who is alleged to have scammed them.
The Lebohang Society and Financial Service’s Facebook page was last active on 10 December (at the time of reporting).
Posts reveal how this situation has adversely impacted families and elderly individuals who believed they were providing for their loved ones by participating in the grocery scheme.
“Hey everyone, guys we are worried about this Society of Lebohang. They haven’t said a word and we are supposed to share this month. Some people bought clothes for their children thinking they would get groceries. We have been waiting for phone calls, but we can’t even reach them,” shared one man in a Facebook group.
Another woman remarked, “What Lebohang Society did to our grandmothers is extremely painful. Although no one in my household was part of the society, I feel for those who were; it’s truly heartbreaking.”
One post highlighted a man’s desperate search for Lebohang, who allegedly promised to deliver groceries but has gone missing. The man claimed that Lebohang has allegedly scammed many people throughout the Free State, targeting smaller communities and has now gone silent.
A woman involved with the society told Free State World that after six months of participation, she had paid R1500 in total, expecting her groceries in December, but nothing came as Lebohang could not be found.
Free State World attempted to reach out to Lebohang Society and Financial Service for comment, but the phone numbers listed on their Facebook page went straight to voicemail, and their WhatsApp was offline.
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