A 45-year-old former general manager of Royal Funerals, Ponatsego Anna Ngwenya, has appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud exceeding R500 000.

Ngwenya, who is from Soshanguve, was granted bail of R30 000 during her recent court appearance.

The case has been postponed to June 9 to allow for further investigations.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ngwenya allegedly defrauded the funeral company while employed in a senior position of trust.

NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said, “It is claimed that she instructed clients to make payments for their funeral policies directly into her personal bank account instead of the company’s official account.”

Mahanjana said in other instances, she allegedly collected cash payments from unsuspecting clients, telling them that the company’s payment system was offline.

These actions reportedly took place over a period of time and involved multiple clients.

“The alleged fraud only came to light when Royal Funerals identified irregularities in its system, particularly noting that several client policies had lapsed due to non-payment.

“When the company contacted affected clients to address the lapses, it was informed that payments had already been made, directly to Ngwenya,” she said.

Mahanjana said this revelation prompted the company to report the matter to the police, leading to an investigation. Ngwenya was subsequently arrested on April 15.

She added that the State did not oppose bail during Ngwenya’s court appearance, as she was not considered a flight risk.

“The NPA remains committed to prosecuting fraud and protecting the public from financial exploitation,” she said.

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