R22 million property seizure: NPA says court found fraudulent deeds and unlawful disposal of state land

The Limpopo High Court in Polokwane granted a forfeiture order for a hotel and other properties valued at R22.7 million following an investigation by the Hawks’ Asset Forfeiture Investigation unit and the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says the High Court in Limpopo found reasonable grounds thatfour Giyani properties valued at over R22 millionwere unlawfully sold through fraudulent deeds in violation of public finance legislation. The findings form part of a forfeiture order granted on 13 February 2026 by the High Court of South Africa, Limpopo Division, following an application by the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit.

The matter relates to Erf 2B, Erf 58B, Erf 64B and Erf 227B situated on Kremetart Street in Giyani. According to NPA Limpopo regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi, fraudulent deeds of sale were allegedly concluded between the late Fourie Willem Jakobus and Howard Alex Mashaba and/or Magezi Ben Mashaba through a company known as Mbangwa Trading and Projects. The purported transactions involved amounts ranging from R290,000 to R450,000, with payments allegedly made directly into Jakobus’s personal bank account.

Despite the alleged sales, the properties were never transferred and remain registered in the name of the National Government and/or the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure. The court accepted the Asset Forfeiture Unit’s submission that there were reasonable grounds to believe the properties constituted proceeds of unlawful activities or were used as instruments to commit offences, including fraud, theft and money laundering. The court further accepted alleged contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Public Finance Management Act, Treasury Regulations, the Limpopo Practice Note on Disposal of Assets, and sections 5 and 6 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

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A government building that previously stood on Erf 58B was demolished and a hotel was erected on the property. Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Adv Ivy Thenga, welcomed the order and said the Asset Forfeiture Unit would intensify efforts to pursue high-profile suspects using its civil forfeiture powers under Chapter 6 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

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