Former SAA chair Dudu Myeni and co-accused corruption case postponed to 2024

The fraud and corruption case against former SAA board chair Dudu Myeni and former Sondolo IT director Trevor Mathenjwa has been postponed to next year.

Myeni and Mathenjwa made a brief appearance in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning after the matter had postponed in September for disclosure of the case docket.

The pair is facing fraud and corruption charges, arising from alleged dodgy dealings at Bosasa amounting to over R300 000.

Docket disclosed

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate has since confirmed that contents of the docket have been disclosed to Myeni and her co-accused.

“While the docket has been disclosed, the court also heard the Investigating Directorate intends to bring a centralisation application. One of the accused, Dudu Myeni’s legal counsel has indicated that they intend to oppose the centralisation application,” ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said.

Seboka said arguments from the state and the defence would be heard when the case returns to court on 9 February 2024.

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Myeni and Mathenjwa, who are out on R10 000 bail, were previously ordered to surrender their passports and are not allow to change addresses without permission.

The former SAA chairperson stands accused of benefitting, among others, from security upgrades to her home worth R200,000 and lavish travel and accommodation for her and those close to her worth more than R107,000.

It has been alleged this was done through Mathenjwa, whose Sondolo IT company was a subsidiary of Bosasa, at the time she was an executive at SAA.

Myeni allegedly did not disclose these benefits to SAA, in defiance of company policy.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s State Capture Report was scathing of Myeni, detailing fraud and corruption which brought the “ultimate collapse of governance at the national carrier”.

State Capture outing

Last year, the former SAA chairperson was ordered to pay a fine after pleading guilty to her charges in a separate matter.

The case related to her revealing the identity of a protected witness, referred to as “Mr X”, during her testimony at the State Capture Commission in November 2020.

Myeni faced charges of defeating the administration of justice with alternative counts of contravention of the Commission Act.

However, she entered into a plea bargain with the state.

She was subsequently sentenced to a fine of R120 000 or two years imprisonment.

Half of both sentences were suspended by five years, with Myeni opting to pay the fine instead.

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