Corrupt former Department of Education clerk sentenced

Former Department of Education (DoE) accounting clerk, Nomthandazo Delsie Khoza (37), was sentenced for fraud, theft and money laundering on December 11 after being found guilty by the Nelspruit Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

She was arrested by the Nelspruit Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for fraud, theft and money laundering.

According to the Hawks’ provincial spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, between May 2019 and November 2020, Khoza, who was employed as an accounting clerk at the DoE in Bushbuckridge’s Bohlabela Region, illegally enriched herself and others by more than R3.1m. At the time of her crimes, she was responsible for payments to ex-employees and deceased beneficiaries.

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“Beneficiaries submitted claims for their money, but did not receive it. An official complaint was lodged and the matter was referred to the Hawks for further investigation.

“The inquiries revealed that Khoza colluded with one of her colleagues to create fraudulent beneficiaries of late employees, and they channelled payments to themselves and their relatives’ personal bank accounts. The amount stolen from beneficiaries amounted to more than R3.1m,” said Sekgotodi. She was ordered to pay back R180 000.

Sekgotodi added that when the investigation was completed, a warrant of arrest was authorised and executed in January 2021. Khoza was released on bail and appeared in court on several occasions until she was sentenced on the following counts:

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• 10 years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on condition she is not convicted of fraud, theft and money laundering during the period of suspension;
• In terms of Section 276(1)(h) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, the accused was sentenced to 36 months correctional supervision, subject to house arrest and house detention for the full three years of the correctional supervision;
• For her role in money laundering, Khoza was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on condition that the victims of her deeds are compensated in terms of Section 300 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977. The accused was ordered to compensate the DoE an amount of R3 000 per month with effect from February 1, 2024 until the full amount of R180 000 has been paid.
• An order that the state government fund, the GEPF, must pay her pension benefits into the Civil Asset Recovery Account.