Home Affairs fraud duo remanded in custody
THE Ministry of Home Affairs Assistant Immigrations Officer Mbongeni Zwane and Delight Moyo, who is suspected to have been a middleman between some of the Immigration officers and ‘customers’ who needed passports have been remanded in custody.
The duo in a somber and fatigued manner appeared before Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi yesterday morning.
At 10:07 am Delight Moyo walked into the courtroom accompanied by a correctional officer. Clad in a navy blue sweater, black skinny jeans, and oversized black sneakers.
He did not want his pictures taken and kept his head bowed inside the accused box. Minutes later Zwane walked in a similar style clad in a navy blue Umbro sweater and navy-blue sweatpants.
He appeared more relaxed and at ease as he made his way to the public benches. Magistrate Fikile walked in and called Moyo to the stand.
He was then told he would be remanded into custody until May 17, 2024, pending a resetting of the trial date on June 11, 2024. The same was read to Zwane before the court adjourned.
This publication had previously reported that in one of the counts the accused Zwane was guilty of the crime of fraud, in that on September 22, 2023, at the Ngwenya Border gate in the Hhohho Region, the said accused person acting individually or jointly in the furtherance of a common purpose with other person (s) did unlawfully and with intent to defraud, misrepresent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration Department.
Zwane had a certain document which he then and there produced and exhibited to the said Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration Department was an authentic passport (Passport No. 10337826) issued by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini thereby entitling one Delight Moyo a Zimbabwean National to enter or exit the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Investigations into fraudulent activities in the Ministry of Home Affairs saw Zimbabwean nationals being arrested for alleged theft of Eswatini Government passport books, bribery, corruption, and fraud.
Delight Moyo, who was suspected of having been a middleman between some of the Immigration officers and ‘customers’ who needed passports, was arrested by the police under the Serious Crimes Unit near The New Mall in Mbabane.
Meanwhile, in the Magistrate fresh matters a church member was arrested for assaulting his former girlfriend in church for failing to start a worship song.
*Sam did not deny assaulting his former girlfriend but told the court that he felt embarrassed in front of the church members when she refused to start a worship song.
The complainant is said to have sustained injuries on her neck, shoulders and above her left breast, as per the doctor’s report brought in court.
“I was surprised to hear her telling me that she was sick on the day in question, despite being prayed for. I was not happy about her behaviour, because everybody in church saw that we had issues,” said the accused.
On another note, the crown told the court that the accused person assaulted the complainant after she had denied him sexual intercourse because she was on her menstrual cycle.
The complainant is said to have told the court that the accused person always demanded sexual intercourse regardless of whether she was on her menstrual cycle.
In response to the allegations, *Sam stated he had not had sexual intercourse with his former girlfriend while she was on her menstrual period.
“I once had sexual intercourse with the complainant while she was on her menstrual cycle, but that was a long time ago. It is not true that I always demanded sexual favours from the complainant,” he said. The crown further told the court that the accused person had the intention to assault the plaintiff just like he normally did.
Mnelisi Mndzebele was fined E2000 or a year of imprisonment for drunken driving. He was arrested by police officers while in Nkwalini for driving under the influence with a narcotic reading of 1.53 ml which is way above the standard 0.38mg.
In his mitigation, he mentioned that he was driving his sister to the hospital. He also mitigated for leniency citing that he is a student in a Zimbabwe college.