Investigations revealed that the Department of Home Affairs never issued the permit submitted by the former CFO.
The former chief financial officer (CFO) of the North West Development Corporation (NWDC), Kudakwashe Mpofu, has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for fraud, wholly suspended for five years.
Mpofu – a Zimbabwean national – was found guilty by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Molopo, North West, of submitting a fraudulent permanent residence permit when applying for a position at the NWDC.
His sentence was wholly suspended on the condition that he is not convicted of fraud again during the five-year period.
Hawks arrest former NWDC CFO
Members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit arrested the 33-year-old in January, following probes into the use of a fraudulent permit.
The court heard that in March 2021, the state-owned corporation advertised an asset manager position based at its head office in Mahikeng.
Mpofu applied for the post and submitted all required documentation, including the fraudulent permanent residence permit.
He was appointed on 1 May of the same year and was later promoted to CFO on 1 June 2023.
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Investigations revealed that the Department of Home Affairs never issued the permit Mpofu submitted.
Mpofu pleads guilty
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Sivenathi Gunya said the former CFO pleaded guilty to both counts of fraud during the trial.
“In aggravation of sentence, advocate Nkhetheni Mudau argued that fraud remains a serious and prevalent offence in South Africa, particularly within the jurisdiction of the court,” Gunya said on Wednesday.
Mudau noted that Mpofu failed to disclose how he obtained the fraudulent document or how he benefited financially, earning more than R3 million during his tenure at the entity.
Welcoming the outcome, Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, commended Mudau for bringing the matter to a finality.
“These sentences underscore the NPA’s commitment to combating and prosecuting commercial crimes that undermine public trust and institutional integrity,” Makhari said.
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