Six accused appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on July 18 on more than 600 fraud charges totalling R60m, among other things, for allegedly licencing private vehicles as if they belong to government departments.

According to the provincial Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, Xoliswa Celia Ngelwane (51), Nompumelelo Winnie Nxumalo (44), Nkosinathi Samuel Gumede (37), Agnes Nozipho Ndzinisa (53), Thembi Millicent Motlohi (42) and Alman Thabang Masuku (42) are facing 603 charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.

Ngelwane, Nxumalo, Ndzinisa, Motlohi and Masuku were employed by the Mpumalanga provincial administration at the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison as administrators, while Gumede was a clerk at the Mbombela Municipal Registering Authority.

“Between 2018 and 2019, the six accused allegedly conducted unlawful transactions, among others, by licensing private motor vehicles as though they belonged to the government departments, resulting in a loss of millions of rands,” she says.

“They were granted R15 000 bail each. The matter was postponed to September 29 for further investigation.