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Their case has been postponed until 29 May for further investigation.
Former Fifa referee Andile Ncobo and his wife appear in the Belville Magistrate's Court in Cape Town on 5 May 2025. Picture: NPA
Premier Soccer League general manager Andile Ncobo and his wife, Salomie, have been granted bail after appearing on fraud and money laundering charges at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court today.
The couple is facing three counts of fraud and money laundering relating to a R15 million donation towards school construction projects in the Eastern Cape.
After a brief court appearance, Ncobo – popularly known as Ace – was granted R50 000 bail and his wife R30 000.
The state is accusing the pair of embarking on a scheme to fraudulently acquire money from Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa SOC Limited (PetroSA) in a way that favoured them, their family members, and entities they had a vested interest in.
PetroSA ran a corporate social investment (CSI) programme that was responsible for administering and granting monetary donations to needy and disadvantaged schools, institutions or disaster management programmes.
The programme focused on education, health, community enhancement and/or environment.
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National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said in 2008, Gangatha Junior Secondary School applied for a donation to build new furnished and equipped computer and science laboratories, classrooms, and an administration block, as well as ablution facilities.
The donation would also go towards developing the sports field and erecting a security fence.
“PetroSA entered into an agreement to donate R13 million to rebuild the school. A King’s Gangatha Building Trust, unregistered, was established to facilitate the funding and rebuilding of the school,” Ntabazalila said.
He said Ncobo oversaw and managed the construction, which started in November 2008 and was completed in September 2009.
“The school never authorised him to act as its representative or appointed him as a project manager to oversee and manage the construction,” he added.
When allegations of irregularities and fraud within the CSI department surfaced, the state-owned oil and gas company appointed quantity surveyors to assess the value of the services rendered.
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The inspection revealed that the products used and the services rendered were of inferior quality and did not correspond with the amount of the donations made.
The costs reportedly amounted to R5.9 million inclusive of 14% Value Added Tax (VAT).
According to the NPA, it was established that it would cost PetroSA a further R398 363 inclusive of 14% VAT to remedy the defects.
The State further alleges that Ncobo made several misrepresentations to PetroSA when the King’s Gangatha Building Trust and other supporting documentation were submitted to their offices to substantiate the application and for approval for the donation.
Ntabazalila said in another project, Nqadu Pre-Grade R School approached PetroSA for a donation to build a new pre-school in 2008.
The application was finalised, and Ncobo’s wife was allegedly the contact person. PetroSA approved the request and paid R485 450 into a Great Kei, Eastern Cape, bank account.
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“Accused one informed the school principal that he was building the pre-school with his own money. He oversaw the construction, but no furniture or educational equipment was delivered to the school,” Ntabazalila.
“The board members appearing on the documentation submitted to PetroSA during the application for funding denied being board members and disputed signatures purported to be theirs.”
After discovering that their investment at the various schools or entities where the accused were involved did not yield the intended results, PetroSA lodged an internal investigation through their Risk and Compliance Department.
The quantity surveyors reportedly established that it would cost the company a further R20 093 inclusive of 14% VAT to remedy the defects at the pre-school.
The money laundering charge relates to the distribution of R15.9 million to the bank accounts of Gangatha Projects, Eseswe Projects, Aldrin Andile Baldwin Ncobo Charity Institute and Aldrin Andile Baldwin Development ILE PR.
“Companies and Intellectual Property Commission records reveal that Gangatha Projects was not a registered entity. Ace Ncobo Development ILE Projects Close Corporation was registered, and the accused had a 100% interest in it. Eseswe Projects and Aldrin Andile Baldwin Ncobo Charity Institute were not registered entities,” Ntabazalila said.
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In a statement released on Ncobo’s Facebook profile following the couple’s appearance in court, the former match official said they welcomed the NPA’s decision to exercise its constitutional duties without favour, albeit malicious.
“We appreciate the overwhelming messages of support and wish to assure our family, friends, and the supportive public that their support is not misplaced. We have never been involved in any criminal conduct in all the projects our company did,” Ncobo wrote.
“All projects we were appointed to do were completed in record time and to the highest standards. The particular project which is made part of this matter is a school that we built almost two decades ago. It still stands proudly as an asset of that community,” he added.
Ncobo said they have full confidence in the country’s justice system and know that the court will judge for itself that this matter should never have been brought before it in the first place.
“We humbly request to be given space to deal with this matter without any further public or media engagements beyond this statement.”
Their case was postponed until 29 May for further investigation.
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