EASTERN CAPE – Ziqelekazi Matyholo (45) was sentenced to 75 years’ collective sentence on 10 February 2023 for numerous counts of fraud by the East London Regional Court following her conviction on 02 February 2022.

Matyholo, employed as a Senior Admin Clerk for the Department of Justice, attached to Human Resource Section during the period between 01 May 2008 and 15 September 2009. She was responsible for facilitating redeployment, implementing relocation costs, furniture removal and resettlement benefits of the existing government employees appointed to other posts within the department.

On discovering some discrepancies where even new employees were paid relocation costs and resettlement benefits which they did not qualify for. The Department of Justice lodged a complaint with the East London based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks for probing in December 2010 which culminated in the arrest of Matyholo on 04 July 2012.

The investigations revealed that Matyholo requested invoices from the Service Providers for the removal of furniture for the Department of Justice employees who relocated to different districts around the Eastern Cape and Free State. She processed and submitted the quotations and invoices for the removal of the furniture to the Department for payment of which the Department approved and paid for.

She then instructed the Service Providers to withdraw the money and hand it over to her. It later dawned that the Service Providers never even rendered the services. The Department of Justice was thus prejudiced cash to the value of more than R113 000.

Matyholo was arrested by the East London based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks on 04 July 2012 and was released on warning on the same day. She subsequently made several court appearances before her conviction on Tuesday, 02 February 2022. The matter was remanded several times before her sentencing on 10 February 2023.

She was sentenced to five years on each of fifteen counts of fraud and all counts were said to run concurrently. The Hawks Provincial Head, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya lauded the team for the success.

Source: South African Police Service