Ex-SAA board member Yakhe ‘Fat Cakes’ Kwinana back in court

Former SAA board member Yakhe Kwinana is expected back in court on charges of extortion, malicious damage to property and unlawful evictions in the Eastern Cape.

Kwinana will make an appearance in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Monday after the case was transferred from the Randburg Magistrate’s Court last week.

She is accused of allegedly using armed security personnel and heavy machinery to demolish the homes of tenants who failed to pay rent.

Yakhe Kwinana back in court

Kwinana addressed the court during her brief appearance, saying that she had been informed that she could file an application for bail at her next court appearance.

She was arrested last week during a police inter-provincial operation in Midrand, “ending her alleged reign of terror”.

Police spokesperson Major General Nonkululeko Phokane said Kwinana is facing multiple charges of extortion, malicious property damage and pointing of a firearm.

“The suspect, who is linked to a series of taxi violence and extortion cases in East London, was allegedly always accompanied by armed men when she threatened her victims and extorted money from them. The victims’ properties were also allegedly demolished [at] the instruction of the suspect.”

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Taxi boss nabbed

A day later, a taxi boss was arrested in a “high-level operation” in East London in the Eastern Cape.

Phokane said the man is “allegedly linked to numerous cases that include taxi-violence-related murders and attempted murders and extortion”, among other allegations.

“This follows a lengthy police investigation led by the specialised team of investigators and operational units. The suspect is a taxi boss in the Eastern Cape and is also allegedly involved in a number of taxi-related incidences in the province.”

Pay back the money

Meanwhile, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) said it will start with measures to collect R6.1 million in fines from its Kwinana, in addition to the body’s legal costs Kwinana was ordered to cover.

This comes after the Gauteng division of the High Court last week dismissed with costs an application by Kwinana to review and set aside the finding and sanctions against her by a Saica disciplinary committee.

Fine

In November 2024, Kwinana appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on fraud charges. She was granted R20 000 bail.

It is alleged that Kwinana failed to disclose a conflict of interest between her own firm and the companies involved in the auditing contract in question.

Kwinana was fined R6.1 million in April 2023 after being found guilty of 13 out of the 14 charges brought against her by Saica.

ALSO READ: Eastern Cape taxi boss arrested on suspicion of murder and extortion