The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained a preservation order from the Special Tribunal allowing it to freeze R2.7m, including accrued interest, from the sale of land that Tintswalo Patience Chauke received as part of her divorce settlement. “Chauke was previously married to Alfred Muzwakhe Sigudhla, a recipient of multiple grants from the National Lotteries Commission [NLC], until their divorce in 2021,” SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said. The order from the tribunal, dated December 3, prohibits Chauke from withdrawing or transferring the funds until the SIU completes a review application to cancel the grant funding that enabled the purchase of the land, thereby ensuring that the potentially misappropriated funds are secured.
In 2018, the SA Youth Movement NPC, chaired by Sigudhla, received about R23m in funding from the NLC for the construction of old-age homes in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. “However, evidence collected by the SIU reveals that, after receiving these funds, Sigudhla transferred a portion to his own companies’ bank accounts and subsequently used them to acquire two luxurious properties, namely in Midstream Estate and Copperleaf Golf Estate.” In May, the SIU obtained an order from the Special Tribunal to freeze the Midstream property, pending completion of the review application into the legitimacy of the grant funding to recover misused NLC funds. The property in Copperleaf Golf Estate, purchased for about R800,000 using funds earmarked for community development, was co-owned by Sigudhla and Chauke in 2018 and was subsequently transferred to Chauke as part of their divorce settlement.
“Further investigations have revealed that the proceeds from the sale of this property, amounting to R2.55m, currently reside in Chauke’s bank account.” Kganyago said the primary mission of the SIU is to recover proceeds from beneficiaries of NLC grant funding who are involved in unlawful activities, thereby restoring the state’s financial losses. “The order from the Special Tribunal represents an important step in the SIU’s efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.”
Read Full Article on TimesLIVE
