Top COJ officials fingered in extortion scandal

Members of the city of Johannesburg’s anti-corruption unit have been fingered in an extortion scandal following reports that one of the COJ officials in question had been having an affair with the wife of Angolan-born South African-based blesser and businessman Serge Cabonge.

The story came to the fore after a Sunday Sun report that Cabonge had cut his traditional marriage short and moved out of his marital home after his wife allegedly began an affair with city of Johannesburg’s Ruskin Nkondo.

Cabonge told the publication how he had previously met with Nkondo in an effort to get his partner of nine years, Zimasa Dangwana, a job after she lost her job working for the Road Accident Fund.

Over time, Nkondo and Dangwana began an affair behind his back according to Cabonge.

He has since alleged to Africa News 24-7 that he now lived in fear following death threats he received from anonymous callers who warned him to leave Nkondo alone.

ALSO READ: Twitter slates ‘disrespectful’ COJ for its ‘private school kota’

Said anonymous callers told Cabonge that Nkondo was a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) and that he had sacrificed a lot for the country.

Ruskin is also the son of late struggle stalwart Curtis Nkondo who died in 2009.

Cabonge told the publication the extortion began when Nkondo was reportedly in the process of processing Dangwana’s CV and it continued long after she got employed at the city of Joburg Property.

Nkondo’s accomplice has been identified by the publication as Advocate Nombulelo Mahanjana and they shared various screenshots (presumably provided by Cabonge) of conversations in which she demanded things like money, clothes, shoes, handbags, a cellphone, and a pair of shoes for her son.

She even went as far as contacting Cabonge through his wife claiming it was safer.

Africa News 24-7 reports that Mahanjana later began trying to convince Dangwana to leave Cabonge and take their children and move out.

Cabonge had a similar experience with Nkondo.

“Not only did I give him an iPhone, but I also gave him cash on several occasions. In one occasion, he sent me a location of his house where I went to drop money. When I gave it to him, he complained that it was not enough. I then went with him to withdraw more cash at a Sasol filling station near his house,” said Cabonge.

While Nkondo and Dangwana refused to comment, Mahanjana likened her dealings with Cabonge and his wife to the way in which most families help each other out.

GFIS head Shadrack Sibiya said the allegations levelled against his officials were “very serious and concerning”.

“This unit’s mandate is to investigate corruption, and for it to achieve its goals it is imperative that its image and integrity are intact. And so must the integrity of officials that work for it. We will investigate these allegations as a matter of urgency,” said Sibiya.

Read the full story here and view screenshots of the conversations between the various parties.

READ NEXT: Notorious blesser’s wife allegedly cheated with COJ official

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.