Eighteen suspects appeared in the Makhado Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 16 March 2022, for alleged fraud, money laundering and uttering. (Uttering means the crime of knowingly tendering or showing a forged instrument or counterfeit coin to another with intent to defraud.)
According to a media release by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) awarded a tender to Thembalethu, a non-profit organisation (NPO) between 2016 and 2021 to clean the Louis Trichardt town area as part of CoGHSTA's Community Workers Programme (CWP).
NPO's site manager and administrator are believed to have recruited friends and relatives of theirs to work on the project. An investigation by the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation unit, however, further revealed that the said workers had never set foot in the Louis Trichardt area to perform these duties, although they were paid R2 540 each, every month during this period. More probing revealed that, after the money was paid into these ghost workers' bank accounts, they would request the workers to pay back R1 500 through various means. As per the Hawks' report, CoGSHTA suffered a loss of more than R900 000 through these illegal activities.
Among the accused is Moyagabo Nelson Mathiba, a control prosecutor attached to the Vuwani Magistrate's Court, who is said to be the husband of the NPO's site manager, Nkhangweni Patience Mudau. Mathiba is believed to be one of the recipients of the money that was paid back by the ghost workers.
The rest of the suspects are Judith Mulalo Mashau (administrator of the NPO), Ronald Silidi, Mulweli Matshinya, Azwimmbavhi Makongoza, Grace Mathiba, Malema Ndaedzo, Josias Manenzhe, Dakalo Zelda Mphephu, Lucky Manenzhe, Mashudu Gloria Mphephu, Tshilisanani Mudau, Moses Mudau, Suzan Mamariri, Maphuthi Lina Mashamite, Bafedile Annah Dankuru and Humbelani Mudau.
A 19th suspect, Sindi Dunisani Mahlaule, appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on the same day (16 March 2022), on the same charges.
The suspects re-appeared in the Makhado Magistrate's Court on 17 March for a formal bail application. Mathiba (54), Mudau (34) and Mashau (38) were granted R5 000 bail each, while the rest of the accused were granted R1 000 bail each. The case was postponed to 28 June 2022.