Hawks bask in their successes
THWARTING corruption in the Kwazulu-natal premier’s office and securing the sentence of a former police officer for murder were among the Hawks’ successes in the second quarter of the 2022/23 financial year.
Hawks head Lieutenant-general Godfrey Lebeya held a media briefing yesterday to provide progress on work and commitment by the Hawks in the fight against perpetrators of national priority crimes in the second quarter.
During Lebeya’s last briefing, KZN’S corruption, drugs, police killings, cashin-transit heists and July unrest instigators made it into the Hawks’ list of law enforcement achievements.
Here are some of the cases Lebeya highlighted in KZN for this period:
Fraud and corruption
It is alleged that in 2016, Siphiwe Mkhize, 63, former HOD of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Sthembiso Mdladla, 62, acting judge, misrepresented to a businessman to pay R1 million into a vehicle dealership. Subsequently, the service provider allegedly paid R300 000 to the same vehicle dealership and purchased a R1.3m vehicle that was later handed over to the HOD.
A case of fraud, corruption and money laundering was reported at the Hilton police station. Hawks took over the investigation and the two were arrested.
On September 20, 2022, the Hawks members from Durban Serious Corruption
Investigation arrested the duo for fraud, corruption and money laundering. The case was postponed to December 14.
National Clean Audit Task Team (NCATT)
On August 29 this year following an extensive investigation, an operation by the NCATT of the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation led to the arrest of the director-general in the office of the Premier of KZN Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Simphiwe Mabaso (official), Sthembiso Ralph Mhlanga (official), Mthokozisi Pius Duze (CEO), Babongile Mnyandu (CFO) and Thabiso
Khumalo.
“The suspects are alleged to have committed the crimes of contravention of section 51(1) of the Public Finance Management Act, defeating the ends of justice and intimidation relating to the KZN Mhlathuze Water Board project in 2018 which resulted in the actual prejudice of R37m,” Lebeya said. The case was postponed to December 6.
In an incident on August 30 2016, Bonakude Consulting (Bonakude) was appointed as a service provider by Newcastle Municipality in terms of Regulation 32 of the Supply Chain
Management Regulations. The contract lapsed on December 31 2017.
In January 2018, municipal manager Bhekani Mswane, extended the contract to continue to render services to the metro involving R7 838 881.64.
The accused, Velenkosini Mtshali, director of Bonakude Consulting, Bhekisisa Eric Hlongwe, the former CFO at Newcastle Municipality and Mswane were arrested and appeared in court on September 29 this year.
The case was postponed to January 27 next year.
Serious commercial crimes
Lebeya said that during the period between March 2013 and June 2014 Sivalingum Sastri, 52, a service provider at MS Cargo, a forwarding and clearing company, colluded with an MS Cargo employee and presented false invoices. As a result, the company suffered a loss of R4 882 070.27.
A case of fraud, corruption and money laundering was reported at Durban Central police station and referred to the Hawks members from Durban Serious Corruption Investigation. Sastri was arrested in May last year and appeared several times in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court until he was convicted in July this year.
“On October 14, 2022, the court sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of fraud, corruption and money laundering. This total of 30 years’ imprisonment sentence will run concurrently and five years of each sentence is suspended for five years. Therefore he will serve five years’ direct imprisonment,” Lebeya said.
Police killings
On April 29 this year Sergeant Somani, who was stationed at Umzimkhulu police station, was sitting in the lounge at her Umzimkhulu home when two suspects entered the house and shot her multiple times. The suspects fled on foot and she died at the scene. An intensive investigation by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime led to the arrest of Siyabulela Mbhele, 24, on July 11 this year. On July 13, Somani’s sister, Bongeka Somani, 42, who is still in custody, was arrested for the murder.
“On August 16, the high court sitting at Pietermaritzburg convicted and sentenced Siyabulela Mbhele to 22 years’ imprisonment for killing Sergeant Nokuthula Somani, 55Bongeka’s trial will resume on February 7 to 18 2023 at Scottburgh High Court. She is still in custody,” Lebeya said.
Serious and violent crime
On November 7, 2018, Mantombi Pearl Govender, 38, was shot multiple times while with her husband, a former police official, Gary Govender..
A case of murder was reported at Hibberdene police station. A preliminary investigation revealed that Govender was a suspect. He was arrested and released on bail. While out on bail he broke into his wife’s house and took her bank cards. He withdrew R200 000 from her account. Gary was rearrested and charged with housebreaking. He was remanded in custody until he was convicted on February 11 this year.
On July 18, Govender was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife.