Pretoria - A 10-year prison sentence imposed on a former government official who paid suppliers nearly R3 million for work that had not been done, has sent a strong message that corruption will not forever go unpunished.
This is the view of University of Mpumalanga political analyst, Dr John Molepo, who applauded the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court for handing down the hefty sentence to 46-year-old Grace Mokoka and her two accomplices, Zenzele Mncwango, 52, and 45-year-old Sikhumbuzo Nkosi.
Mokoka worked as a deputy director at the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, when she participated in a fraud and money-laundering scheme in 2011.
The fraudulent scheme attracted the attention of the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.
“Mokoka fraudulently issued an appointment letter in 2011 to a service provider, Thandi Mndawe of Sadia Trading. Mndawe had not submitted tender documents to render any services to the department when the appointment letter was issued.
“The company received an undue payment of R2 950 000 for services that were never rendered. Mndawe and her business partner, Mncwango, were later instructed by Mokoka to make cash withdrawals, followed by a couple of electronic transfers to another company,” said Hawks national spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase.
There were other payments that Mndawe was instructed to make to a government official, who also happened to be Mokoka’s husband, Nkwalase added.
This led to Mndawe entering into a plea agreement with the State, saving herself from being sent to prison.
In 2018, Magistrate Sheila Msibi found Mokoka, Mncwango, Nkosi and Mndawe guilty of fraud and money laundering.
Mndawe’s sentence was however suspended, while the others waited four years to be sentenced.
“Grace Mokoka, Zenzele Mncwango and Skhumbuzo Nkosi were each sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for fraud. Three of the 10 years were suspended for five years with conditions.
“They were further sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for money laundering. The trio will each serve an effective 10-year imprisonment sentence,” said Nkwalase.
Over and above the sentences, the government fraudsters also had their possessions forfeited to the State, Nkwalase said.
“During the conviction of the suspects, the court granted preservation orders of a double storey house at Kamagugu, seven vehicles and the pension funds of the convicts,” Nkwalase said.
Molepo welcomed the sentences.
He said the public was tired of hearing anti-corruption messages that were not followed by prison sentences.
“The courts are actually doing what they are supposed to do, which is to interpret the law to society. What we are seeing here is a strong message that if you dare touch the public purse to enrich yourself, you will be the next one to spend many years in prison.
“Stealing from the public is tantamount to endangering people’s lives and sabotaging the state.
“Corruption is an infringement of people’s rights. That is why we are happy to see the courts sending this strong message to public officials and their collaborators,” he said.
Pretoria News