More customers of a Halifax-area used car dealership are speaking out and alleging fraud, as RCMP confirm the number of complaints they’re investigating against Race Auto Group in Lower Sackville has more than doubled since yesterday.
Among the concerned customers is Lisa Marr, who says she’s on the hook for $60,000 — paying for loans on two cars that she doesn’t even possess and a vehicle she can’t register.
“So worried about repossession, worried about registration, basically worried about everything,” said Lisa Marr. “I won’t drive my car right now because I’m scared to.”
Marr says she traded in two of her vehicles earlier this year to the Lower Sackville, N.S., dealership and purchased a pre-owned vehicle from them in March.
Since then, however, she says she’s discovered she can’t register her new vehicle because she alleges Race Auto didn’t release the paperwork.
THE TUTUKA POWER STATION PROCUREMENT FRAUD (ESKOM)
Date: August 29, 2025 Perpetrator: Jessie Phindile Kubheka (Supplier Director)
Case Description: As part of the ongoing “cleaning up” of Eskom, Jessie Phindile Kubheka was sentenced to 12 years (with 5 years suspended) for defrauding the Tutuka Power Station. The case involved a sophisticated procurement syndicate that exploited Eskom’s emergency repair protocols. Kubheka’s company was contracted to deliver three high-specification containers for the power station. Only one container was ever delivered, and even that single unit failed to meet the required safety and technical specifications.
Despite the lack of delivery, Kubheka issued grossly inflated invoices, defrauding the utility of approximately R2.6 million. The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court ordered Kubheka to repay the full amount. This case is significant because it marks a shift in Eskom’s strategy toward “naming and shaming” suppliers and pursuing full asset recovery. It serves as a stark warning to contractors that the 2026 climate of “Zero Tolerance” for state-owned enterprise (SOE) fraud is backed by active judicial enforcement.
Link to Original: Eskom Official – Tutuka Fraud Sentencing