By OBAKENG MAJE
23 June 2025- The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Madoda Sambatha said he is taking legal action against a certain individual, who allegedly hacked his phone and stole personal pictures. On 18 June 2025, pictures of Sambatha and his wife were circulated on various social media platforms.
Samabatha said these images were unlawfully accessed and distributed as a result of a hacking incident involving his personal mobile device. He said this intrusion constitutes a serious violation of privacy and is a criminal offense under the Cybercrimes Act No. 19 of 2020.
“The preliminary evidence indicates that the hacking was perpetrated by an employee within the North West Provincial Government (NWPG), using an official government email address.
“The said individual not only accessed the content without consent, but also tampered with the photos before distributing them publicly. The details of the person involved are known to me,” said Sambatha.
He further said on 19 June 2025, he formally opened a criminal case at Mmabatho Police Station. Sambatha added that, in addition to the criminal proceedings, he will be pursuing a civil case to hold the perpetrator accountable for damages caused.
“I wish to clarify and affirm that my wife has been a small-scale communal farmer since 2019, engaging in horticulture, broiler chickens and egg-laying production. I was only deployed to the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in 2024 — five years after she began her farming journey.
“This malicious incident seeks to distort facts and invade the dignity of our family. We remain resolute in upholding the truth and pursuing all legal avenues to ensure justice is served,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Guardian Newspaper understands that, the alleged perpetrator, was working in the Office of the Premier’s private office during former North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo’s tenure and now she has since allegedly been moved to the North West Department of Arts, Sports, Culture and Recreation.
The Guardian 