The National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in Limpopo announced on Monday that it had secured a High Court order to forfeit four Giyani properties valued at about R22 million, in what authorities describe as a significant blow against alleged fraud and money laundering linked to state assets.
The forfeiture order was granted by the High Court of South Africa on 13 February 2026 and relates to Erf 2B, Erf 58B, Erf 64B and Erf 227B in Kremetart Extension, Giyani.
The order follows a joint investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, the Anti-Corruption Unit and the AFU.
According to court papers, the AFU argued that there were reasonable grounds to believe the properties were either the proceeds of unlawful activities or were used to commit offences, including fraud, theft and money laundering. The application also cites alleged breaches of provincial and municipal asset disposal policies, as well as contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and sections 5 and 6 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
The alleged offences were committed against the national government and the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure.
It is alleged that fraudulent deeds of sale were concluded between the late Willem Jakobus Fourie and Howard Alex Mashaba and/or Magezi Ben Mashaba (Mashaba Senior) through a company known as Mbangwa Trading and Projects. The purported sales involved the four erven for amounts ranging from R290,000 to R450,000, with payments allegedly made directly into Fourie’s personal bank account.
Despite the alleged transactions, the properties were never transferred and remain registered in the name of the national government and/or the provincial department.
In a striking development, a departmental building that once stood on Erf 58B was demolished and a hotel was later built on the property.
Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Ivy Thenga welcomed the order, saying it underscored the power of civil forfeiture under Chapter 6 of POCA.
“This order demonstrates that crime does not pay. Through the AFU’s civil forfeiture mandate, we can recover stolen state assets and funds, including those concealed in foreign jurisdictions. We will continue to act decisively to safeguard public resources,” she said.
Thenga also commended the DPCI, the Anti-Corruption Unit and the AFU for what she described as coordinated efforts to ensure accountability and protect public assets.
The forfeiture means the properties will vest in the state, pending any further legal processes.