A 71-year-old pensioner from Heideveld says a well-known imam and travel agent borrowed R60 000 from her, but is now refusing to pay her back.
Fatima McLoed says the money was intended for her hajj - the Muslim holy pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
She says in January 2017, her husband, Abdullah, 72, brought Imam Isghak Cassiem from Al Mujaahiedien Travel and Tours to their home.
Cassiem has previously been accused of robbing people he was supposed to take on hajj and umrah.
Fatima says the imam told them he needed the money desperately.
She says Abdullah, who used to sell crayfish curry at a stalltjie in Gatesville, gave her money to put away every month for their hajj.
HOT WATER: Imam Isghak Cassiem of Al Mujaahiedien Travel and Tours ‘owes R60k’
She says on that day he asked her for all the money, which totalled R80 000, but she only handed over R60 000.
She says Cassiem was “almost in tears” when he received the cash.
Three months later, Abdullah died of a stroke.
“I did not ask what the money was for because I trusted my husband, and someone of his stature, an imam, I believed would not steal from pensioners.
“I was so wrong.
“He was supposed to pay me back in February 2018 because I was going on hajj, but when I contacted him, he said he did not have it.”
Determined to get her money back, she went to his office in Belhar and insisted Cassiem sign an IOU, which he did.
In the meantime, a good Samaritan stepped in and paid for her hajj.
Upon her return in October 2018 she again tried to contact Cassiem, but he did not answer his phone and his Belhar office had been sold.
Fatima now intends opening a case with police: “My husband worked hard his whole life to be able to send me on hajj. I want my money back.”
The Daily Voice contacted Cassiem, but he did not respond to emails or messages left on several cellphone numbers provided.
He read WhatsApp messages, but failed to respond to any of those.
Signed IOU.
In 2017, Cassiem’s travel agency was suspended by the South African Tour Operators’ Association following the cancellation of the flights of 32 people who were scheduled to leave for umrah on 25 December.
He claimed he did not have sufficient funds to pay the airline due to operational issues, despite all clients having paid upfront.
According to Cassiem, about R600000 was collected from the group for the trip, but the agency fell short of R324000.