Accused in tender fraud case lives in the house of state witness

The woman behind a week-old company that won a R1m tender will have to spend the next two days in the house of her cousin who turned state witness. Nokuzola Mafunda, owner of Ithani Amen, stunned the Pretoria Specialised Crime Court on Thursday when, after she was granted bail of R10,000 and told not to talk to witnesses, brought to the magistrate’s attention that she lives with one of the state witnesses, her cousin. Through her lawyer, she further explained that she lives in the Eastern Cape but would reside in her cousin’s house whenever she is in Gauteng.

She said she would stay at her cousin’s house until she returns to the Eastern Cape on Saturday. State prosecutor advocate Phumla Dwane placed on record that they must not speak about the case. Mafunda was ordered to hand over her passport, which she said she would courier when she got back home.

Mafunda has also been ordered not to enter any of the department of health offices, in particular the one in Thaba Nchu, Pretoria. The state alleges that three senior officials from the national health department helped her company land a R1m tender in 2023. At the time, her firm was only eight days old.

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Its bank account was created a day after the awarding of the tender. The contract was to oversee the disciplinary hearing of chief director advocate Maile Ngake, who was charged with misconduct. The three officials are acting deputy director-general for corporate services, Malixole Mahlathi, CFO Phineas Mamogale and director-generalSabelo Sandile Buthelezi.

They were arrested by the Hawks on Monday morning and appeared at the same court on charges of theft and fraud. It emerged on Thursday that Mafunda, 69, is a retired KZN health deputy director of HR. During her bail application, she acknowledged that she faced a fraud charge, which was a schedule 5 offence.

“I was arrested on March 5 after I handed myself over to the police in Pretoria. I intend to plea not guilty,” she said.

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