Soweto neighbours shocked at arrest of ‘sextortionist’

A Soweto man allegedly linked to a sextortion scam involving 52 victims in multiple countries — all underage boys — lived an almost reclusive life, his neighbours say.

Ifeel Simango, 30, is charged with operating an international online sextortion and money-laundering syndicate. His arrest in July came after a lengthy investigation by US, Swiss and South African authorities following the suicide of a Swiss teen, who hanged himself after being blackmailed over the publication of compromising photos.

Simango’s neighbours in Orlando East say Simango rarely had anything to do with them.

Sandile Mkhize, who has lived on the same street for about 10 years, said his only meaningful interaction with Simango was a cordial encounter while the two shared a cigarette.

“He approached me for a cigarette lighter after buying some eggs and bread at the tuck shop,” Mkhize said. “We did not talk much, but he introduced himself and said he was new in the area and asked where he could find nice hangout spots.”

Mkhize said he had seen Simango on only two occasions. Simango rarely ventured out of his house.

I didn’t even know that someone could carry out such activities in our community—  Amanda Sibeko

“I have never seen him with anybody, and I think a lot of people on this street know him. I first saw him in December last year. I am not sure when he started living here,” he said.

Amanda Sibeko told the Sunday Times the only time she saw Msimango was when police arrived to arrest him. “After that I also saw him on TV in the news. I didn’t even know that someone could carry out such activities in our community.”

She said the allegations were particularly difficult to comprehend because Simango had not stood out in the neighbourhood, where residents generally knew each other.

Simango was arrested at his home last month and is due in court again on September 9.

The charges against him stem from the death of a 17-year-old boy in Switzerland, who he allegedly manipulated into sending explicit images of himself via WhatsApp.

Police allege that after obtaining the images, Simango, who had been using a fraudulent online profile, demanded large sums of money and threatened to distribute the explicit material on social media. The greatly distressed boy transferred R232,919.38 via PayPal.

The boy is alleged to have begged Simango not to spread the images and threatened suicide, only for Simango to act as though he had not received the money. He told the boy he did not care if he killed himself and posted the explicit pictures on Instagram, despite his having already been paid off.

The Hawks said the teen hanged himself in a forest near his home, leaving a suicide note detailing the ordeal.

The use of encrypted messaging platforms and social media has made it increasingly difficult for victims and law enforcement agencies to contain blackmail threats once intimate material has been obtained.

The case has highlighted the growing international push to place greater responsibility on social media companies to protect children from online exploitation.

A lot of the children feel that they can’t tell their parents or an adult about it when it happens. Criminals take advantage of this because the police do not have the capacity to deal with it—  Emma Sadleir, digital law expert

Australia has taken one of the toughest positions, introducing a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms, with companies facing significant penalties if they fail to comply.

The move has been closely watched internationally, with the UK and other countries also signalling plans for similar legislation. France has set an age threshold of 15, with restrictions requiring parental involvement for children below that age in accessing certain social media services.

However in South Africa, communications & digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi opposes rigid, blanket social media age bans, arguing they are largely unenforceable and risk becoming cosmetic. He says his department is focusing instead on closing enforcement gaps, establishing online safety guardrails and promoting digital literacy.

“There’s always a temptation whenever there is a problem in society to say, ‘Let’s put bans, let’s put restrictions in place,’” he told EWN earlier this year. “But prior to doing that, we have to capacitate ourselves with enough mechanisms. Otherwise, we end up having cosmetic interventions that seem like we are doing something.”

He said South Africa was exploring stronger guardrails, including possible age-verification requirements for platforms. However, he acknowledged weaknesses in existing systems, citing reports of children bypassing age restrictions using others’ identification.

Digital law expert Emma Sadleir said South African children are particularly vulnerable to sextortion because of the conservative nature of society, which can make victims reluctant to speak out when they are targeted.

“A lot of the children feel that they can’t tell their parents or an adult about it when it happens. Criminals take advantage of this because the police do not have the capacity to deal with it,” she said.

She said she had encountered cases involving children as young as 12 who had been targeted by international syndicates. Children who fell victim to sextortion should take steps to limit the perpetrator’s access to their personal information and contacts.

“And if they fall victim, they must delete their social media pages so that perpetrators do not have access to their contact lists.”