LIMPOPO – The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Polokwane has welcomed the conviction and sentence of a former company manager who defrauded her employer of nearly R4.7 million over a four-year period.

Collette Bronkhorst, 53, was employed at Valley’s Best as a manager responsible for financial records and bookkeeping.

How the fraud unfolded

It is alleged that between 2010 and 2014, Bronkhorst manipulated company records and made unauthorised payments into her husband’s business account and her personal account totalling R4 697 674.

Arrest and plea agreement

Bronkhorst was arrested in June 2015, following an investigation by the Hawks in Marble Hall. She entered into a Section 105A plea agreement with the State.

Court outcome

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the matter was heard in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Bronkhorst pleaded guilty to:

• 660 counts of fraud
• One count of defeating the ends of justice

The court accepted the plea and found her guilty on all counts.

Sentence

She was sentenced to:

• 15 years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years
• Five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years

The court also declared her unfit to possess a firearm.

Hawks’ response

Major General Adv Gopz Govender, Provincial Head of the DPCI in Limpopo, said the conviction demonstrates the Hawks’ commitment to holding individuals accountable for commercial crimes.

“We will continue to prioritise investigations that protect businesses and the economy from internal fraud,” Govender said.