Bongo ready for corruption trial

Ex-minister’s case delayed

Former state security minister Bongani Bongo says he cannot wait for trial to start in his fraud and corruption case.

The case was yesterday postponed to November 16, with the National Prosecuting Authority saying it is ready.

“I still maintain the charges against me are politically motivated. We are waiting for the 16th [November] for the state to lead their case and we shall respond for ourselves.

“I’m ready for the trial. The state should have given the defence the information needed a long time ago as the investigation on this matter started in 2012, but now we are in 2022,” Bongo said outside the Nelspruit magistrate’s court.

The case was postponed after one of Bongo’s co-accused, Blessing Mduduzi Singwane, changed a lawyer and the new one asked for additional information in the charge sheet and indictment and clarity.

The accused were arrested by the Hawks in October 2020 on 69 charges of money laundering, theft, corruption, fraud and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. They are on R10,000 bail each.

The charges emanate from alleged illegal land deals, including the purchase of a farm in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, for R37.5m by the provincial department of human settlements on behalf of the municipality.

Bongo was head of the legal section of the department of human settlements in the province at the time and acted as a legal adviser for the department while one of his coaccused Sydney Mahlangu Dube was head of department.