Community stands to lose all over corruption of R3 million
Invoices, transactions and payments were then submitted through the normal procurement process, although Sadia Trading had never rendered any services to the community and was not entitled to receive the money
MBOMBELA – Closing arguments were heard this week in a R3 million corruption and fraud case involving a land claim which could leave the Endlovini community without a cent.
Grace Mokoka, an official in the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (Dardlea), Jacob Zenzele Mncwango and Skhumbuzo Nkosi appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of fraud and money laundering.
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In his closing arguments, the state advocate, Patrick Nkuna, said Mkoko had misrepresented to Dardlea that Sadia Trading CC had done infrastructure development on two portions of the plots included in the Endlovini claim in 2012.
“Invoices, transactions and payments were then submitted through the normal procurement process, although Sadia Trading had never rendered any services to the community and was not entitled to receive the money.”
He said Mncwango received R2,3 million and used it for his own purposes.
“There is definite documented evidence with bank statements to show how the money was laundered. They tried to disguise the source of this money by transferring it into different accounts,” said Nkuna.
He said an investigation ensued when it came to light that Sadia Trading had not done any work on the farms. Members of the community alerted the police, who investigated.
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The new chairman of the Endlovini Community Trust committee, Elvis Mgwenya, told Lowvelder that Dardlea had apparently set up the previous committee with members who had no connection to the land at all.
“We complained to the Office of the Premier but we are still not seen as the proper beneficiaries. This involves 59 plots. The corruption case in court is about two of those plots,” said Mgwenya.
He said SARS was planning to foreclose on the two plots as they were behind on payments. “They want the tax from the money that was stolen.”
Mgwenya said they were supposed to receive a R15 million grant but so far nothing had materialised. “The previous committee members had a vehicle that the police seized, now they say they gave it back to the committee but we never got it.”
Magistrate Sheila Msibi postponed the matter for judgement to December 8.
- On Friday, November 24 on page two, Lowvelder published a report titled “Community stands to lose all over corruption.” The court report referred to the accused in a corruption and fraud case – Grace Mokoka, Jacob Zanzale Mncwango and Skhumbuso Nkosi. It was reported that “two other board members of the trust committee, Clement Maseko, a Dardlea official and Thandi Nkosi, a hairdresser, earlier plead guilty and turned state witness.” This was incorrect. After consulting court documents and state prosecutor Patrick Nkuna, Lowvelder confirmed Clement Maseko was never an accused in the case. Lowvelderapologises for any inconvenience caused. In addition hereto, the paper confirms that Maseko is not a official in the provincial Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, but works in the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
