Former Vosloorus Old Age Home manager free after court withdraws charges
The former Vosloorus Old Age Home manager blames power rivalry for his two-year woes following his arrest and dismissal after 11 years of caring for the aged.
A joyful former manager of the Vosloorus Old Age Home, Sechaba Mathenjwa, walked into the offices of Kathorus MAIL in Vosloorus recently with a beaming smile and holding in his hand a document from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development which proclaimed his innocence.
The document, issued by the Ekurhuleni North Regional Court, bears the signature of the investigating officer (IO) in the case.
The IO is a police constable detective at the Vosloorus SAPS, whose name is known to Kathorus Mail, but he has requested not to mention his name in the story.
In the document, it is stated the charge of fraud in the case docket no 74/06/2022 against Mathenjwa was registered with the Vosloorus SAPS on August 5, 2015, and indicated the conviction date as 10/10/2023.
Mathenjwa was arrested at his house in Vosloorus on May 31, 2022, and was taken to the Vosloorus SAPS, where he was formally charged with 63 counts of fraud and another 63 counts of theft.
He also allegedly embezzled funds amounting to R100 000 which was a contribution from a donor.
Mathenjwa was later released on R100 000 bail and the court warned him not to interfere with state witnesses.
“Of course, I complied and followed true to all that I was required to adhere to,” explained Mathenjwa, who described his two-year ordeal in which he was subjected to scorn and insults from members of the public.
On his second appearance at the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court, on October 30, 2022, Mathenjwa faced further investigations on outstanding documents relating to bank statements and other financial statements that were part of the evidence against him.
Responding to questions posed by Kathorus MAIL concerning the withdrawal of the charges against the former manager of the old age centre, the media spokesperson for the Vosloorus SAPS Constable Frank Nkuna confirmed that, according to the police crime database, all the charges against Mathenjwa have been withdrawn and that he was now a free man.
According to Mathenjwa, the court withdrew the charges against him because of a lack of evidence. “I am relieved,” exclaimed an excited Mathenjwa, during an interview with Kathorus MAIL.
He described his brief stint in jail and the two years he was out on bail and struggling to make ends meet as the most traumatic period of his life.
“I have never felt so low and isolated in my entire life,” remarked the former old age manager.
He said soon after the news of his arrest broke his whole world fell apart and the open rejection and being despised began.
“Even in my own community were people I had thought I was very close to began treating me differently and gradually moved away from me,” lamented Mathenjwa.
He described what he claims was a difficult and humiliating period in his life as he was ostracised and fingered by the public as a ‘thief’ and an ‘embezzler’ of pensioners’ funds.
Mathenjwa told Kathorus MAIL the charges on the docket case no 74/06/2022, involving the R100 000 theft and fraud charges against him, were withdrawn on May 23 at the Vosloorus Regional Court due to lack of evidence.
He explained the R100 000 he was accused of embezzling was paid as salaries to workers at the old age home.
This was confirmed by Mike Huma who described himself as a former board member that was set up to administer the centre after Mathenjwa was arrested.
Mathunjwa’s defence attorney, MD Ledwaba, also confirmed Mathenjwa was now a free man.
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