The three officials who were arrested in Mbombela and White River in connection with a fraud and money laundering case, have been released on R15 000 bail each.
The three accused, Thabang Clifford Khumalo, Precious Nohlahla Macheke and Nkosinathi Desmond Mahlalela, appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday September 15 following their arrest the day before.
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Khumalo was employed by the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL) and was deployed at the White River Licensing Centre, while Maxeke and Mahlalela worked for the City of Mbombela. The Mpumalanga Hawks’ spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, said the accused are facing charges of theft, fraud and money laundering to the tune of R60m.
The three accused will join six others who were arrested earlier this year in connection with the same case. The provincial spokesperson for the DCSSL, Moeti Mmusi, said they welcomed the arrest of these officials, as it signals Government’s zero-tolerance stance against corruption in the licensing environment.
“We note the far-reaching negative impact that fraud and corruption has in the licensing environment. Any corruption in this regard must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, as it does not only endanger lives, but also robs our Government of much-needed revenue.
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“Our country has one of the highest rates of deadly road crashes in the world. That is why we should at all times work harder to eliminate any dishonesty in the licensing of vehicles and drivers,” Mmusi said.
He said they would co-operate with law enforcement agencies to respond to these and other cases.
“We are once more calling on all our officials to always discharge their duties with high levels of honesty and integrity. They must also report any wrongdoing as and when they see it,” said Mmusi.
