From left to right: Zwelakhe Hlophe, Siyabonga Bhengu, Nofezile Mhlanga, Maria Gevers, Amita Badul, and Duduzile Chiliza
Nkosikhona Duma
- Six accused, including the wife of a prominent Durban lawyer, have been added to the long list of accused in a R37 million Mhlathuze Water Board corruption case.
- The accused face charges including fraud, money laundering and defeating the ends of justice.
- The total number of accused charged in connection with the matter now stands at 14.
Six more people have been added to the corruption case involving the alleged looting of R37 million from the Mhlathuze Water Board during the Covid-19 hard lockdown in 2020.
Nofezile Mhlanga, 32; Siyabonga Bhengu, 39; Duduzile Chiliza, 50; Amita Badul, 62; Maria Gevers, 68 and Zwelakhe Hlophe, 45, made their first appearance before Magistrate Dawn Soomaro in the Specialised Commercial Crimes court in Durban on Friday.
They were arrested earlier in the day by the Hawks’ National Clean Audit Task Team on allegations of fraud, money laundering, contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and defeating the ends of justice.
According to the State, the six accused, together with eight others, improperly benefited from a legal services tender issued to probe irregular expenditures that took place at the entity between 2017 and 2018.
READ | Heated exchanges in court during Mhlathuze Water Board corruption case
Mhlanga, who is married to prominent Durban lawyer, Ralph Mhlanga, will now join her husband who was previously charged in connection with the matter, in the dock.
She has been charged with money laundering amounting to R18 million.
The money was allegedly paid by the water board to her company, NCD investments, and then used to build her family mansion in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Bhengu is an architect who built the luxury home for the Mhlanga couple.
He allegedly instructed his employees not to cooperate with investigators looking into corruption at the water board.
He faces charges of money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice.
Chiliza, who served as a legal adviser at the water board, is alleged to have neglected her duties in favour of the accused.
Badul, Gevers and Hlophe served the entity as board members during the alleged corruption.
They have been charged with breaching the Public Finance Management Act.
READ | Luxury vehicles seized in Mhlathuze Water Board corruption case
The trio allegedly disclosed confidential information from a forensic investigation looking into the corruption to former Mhlathuze Water Board CEO Mthokozisi Duze and former CFO Babongile Myandu, who are also facing charges in connection with the matter.
It’s alleged that Duze and Mnyandu coerced their employees to approve irregular payments amounting to over R30 million to Ralph Mhlanga.
Another prominent person facing charges in relation to the case is Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, the director-general in the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier.
KZN Premier’s Office Director-General Nonhlanhla Mkhize.
Supplied KZN Government
She faces charges of intimidation and defeating the ends of justice.
She allegedly sent Siphiwe Mabaso, another accused, to the home of the water board chairperson and instructed the chairperson not to release the findings of a forensic investigation into corruption at the entity.
The six accused were released on bail of varying amounts, ranging between R5 000 and R10 000.
All 14 accused are expected back in court on Thursday 29 June.
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