The Independent Development Trust (IDT), now led by acting CEO Sfiso Nsibane, has vowed to probe serious allegations of signatures fraud. The latest instalments in Daily Maverick’s ongoing IDT investigations has highlighted alleged signatures fraud in documents the Collen Mashawana Foundation (CMF) submitted to the IDT in relation to a controversial R60-million employment scheme. Our investigation, in part supported by the findings of an independent forensics firm specialising in signatures and handwriting analysis, points to glaring discrepancies in the payment sheets, attendance registers and other documents the CMF submitted in order to receive funds from the IDT for its work in Limpopo.
In some months, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) participants contracted to the CMF did not receive their salaries. The IDT also tasked the CMF to run employment programmes in Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. “Given the seriousness of the allegations, the IDT is initiating an independent forensic verification process to authenticate all relevant records,” the IDT stated in response to our queries.
According to the organisation, a probe is already underway following Daily Maverick’s initial reports in August this year, in which we revealed that the Collen Mashawana Foundation had failed to pay hundreds of its workers in the Free State. “The IDT takes all allegations of fraud, forgery or financial misconduct seriously. The matter concerning CMF forms part of a broader verification process initiated by the organisation following media reports published in August 2025.”
Read Full Article on Daily Maverick
