Illegal mining kingpins’ property to be auctioned off
Crime proceeds of R18m to be forfeited to state
The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has attached 51 vehicles, seven houses and 16 bank accounts belonging to illegal mining kingpins.
The properties, valued at R18m, will be auctioned off and the proceeds forfeited to the state. The properties belong to Bethuel Ngobeni, Lerato Bathebeng, Poppy Mathongwane, Bongani Khumalo, Dumisani Moyo, Kesitaal (Pty) Ltd – a company belonging to Moyo – Nhlanhla Leon Magwaca, Neo Susan Duba, Tsepo Dube, Itumeleng Rejoice Magagane, Gloria Kgalalelo Magagane, Mlambo, Nhlanhla Mathebula, Manuel Nhamucho and Thabiso Sechele.
They are accused of dealing in illicit gold in the Carletonville and Khutsong areas on the West Rand.
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the orders were secured at the Pretoria high court on March 20.
“This stems from a criminal investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [DPCI] under project Gillette, initiated in 2018 with the specific aim of infiltrating a syndicate dealing in unwrought gold,” she said.
She said the syndicate unlawfully purchased gold-bearing materials (amalgam) from legal mining workers and illegally from zama zamas to process into gold nuggets, which were then sold around Johannesburg.
“The main buyers are currently unknown. The syndicate is primarily composed of foreign nationals from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Some members of the syndicate fraudulently acquired South African identity documents,” said Mahanjana.
She the trial against the nine accused, who are also facing various charges including money laundering and racketeering, is set to begin on July 24 at the Pretoria high court.
Last month, Sowetan reported how one of the accused, Bathebeng, lived a lavish life which she boasted about on social media. She is Ngobeni’s wife. She lives in a large house in Khutsong Extension 4, which stands out like a castle among the four-roomed RDP houses that surround it.
Bathebeng, who runs a catering business, poses with bottles of champagne in her red-styled kitchen.
In another one, Bathebeng can be seen dancing in front of a Range Rover, which has since been attached.