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The Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) is cracking down on corrupt government employees.
This week, five traffic officers and a home affairs employee were sentenced to prison following two court cases.
In the first incident, Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo states that the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court sentenced five former Umngeni Municipality traffic officials to prison for fraud.
The sentencing comes after a thorough investigation by the law enforcement agency. Captain Mhlongo explains the chain of events that led up to this point.
“In 2017, Hawks members from Durban Serious Corruption Investigation team received information from the Road Traffic Management Corporation about fraud and corruption activities at Umngeni Municipality Testing Centre. A joint operation was conducted, and it was discovered that officials were assisting applicants to pass their driver’s learners’ test.”
According to investigations, examiners were pointing out correct answers to learners on the computer screens. As a result, the students would pass the driver’s learners exam with ease. Each learner allegedly paid a gratification of up to R3000.00 before their test.
All of the accused were arrested in March 2018 and appeared in court several times before being found guilty of fraud in November of last year. Their sentencing taking place on Monday, 25 October 2021.
Dumisani Nkala was found guilty on 49 counts of fraud. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, suspended for five years if he is not found guilty of fraud or theft during the suspension period. He was also sentenced to three years of correctional supervision.
Lindiwe Xulu was found guilty on 158 counts of fraud. She was sentenced to seven years of direct imprisonment.
Meshack Ndlovu was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and sentenced to four years in prison. Matthews Zondi was found guilty of 274 counts of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Dumisani Phungula was found guilty of 15 counts of fraud and sentenced to four years in prison.
For sentencing, all counts for each accused were treated as one.
The second incident involved Sbulelo Malanda, a home affairs official from Umzimkhulu. She aided foreign nationals in fraudulently obtaining South African IDs.
Captain Mhlongo claims the 42-year-old and her accomplice were apprehended in 2017 after their actions were exposed.
According to the Hawks official, her accomplice would act as a go-between, approaching the individuals in question and putting them in touch with Malanda.
The accomplice was sentenced in 2018 after their arrest in 2017. The suspect was sentenced to two years in prison, which was suspended for five years.
Malanda, on the other hand, did not get off so easily. Captain Mhlongo explains that she was sentenced to four years of direct imprisonment on Monday because she facilitated the process and the evidence against her. “She was also given four years for corruption and six months for contravention of the immigration act.”
In light of the two cases, Captain Mhlongo emphasises the importance of the Hawks combating corruption.
He points out, “When just looking at the case of the traffic officers, they helped 503 people obtain their learner’s licence illegally and this can potentially contribute to accidents on the road. For example, when loadshedding occurs and traffic lights go out, these individuals are unsure what to do because they did not follow the proper procedures. This endangers people’s lives.”
In the case of corrupt home officials’ employees, Captain Mhlongo claims that their actions have a multifaceted impact on the lives of South African citizens.
“The foreign nationals, in this case, benefited from social grants from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA),” he says.
This is despite the fact that they have not contributed to the country’s economy, putting the government and law-abiding citizens under financial strain.
Furthermore, because they have obtained South African citizenship, these illegal residents are now eligible for RDP houses, according to Captain Mhlongo. As a result, he claims, needy South Africans are left out in the cold.
“All of these factors contribute to why it is critical for the Hawks to combat this type of corruption,” Captain Mhlongo concludes.
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