The Hawks are probing a second case of alleged fraud in the Mandela funeral case against controversial East London businessman Mzwandile Sokwali.
Sokwali stands accused of forging another company’s documents when submitting quotations for transporting mourners to Nelson Mandela’s memorial services in 2014.
He has already been convicted for his involvement in the R9.9m Mandela memorial service scandal after he pleaded guilty to contravening Section 34(2) of the Criminal Procedures Act.
Sokwali was sentenced to five years in prison, wholly suspended for five years, while Victory Ticket, his company, was fined R100,000, of which R50,000 was suspended.
The Daily Dispatch can today reveal that Sokwali might now have to answer in a further case linked to the Mandela memorial scandal.
In statements seen by the Dispatch that have been submitted to the Hawks, Mninawe Nyiba, who owns Mni Transport, details how his company’s name, letterhead, stamp and even his own signature was forged and used as one of three quotations sourced by Buffalo City Metro.
The allegedly fraudulent quotation is valued at R10.5m.
Attempts to get comment from Sokwali were unsuccessful. Texts sent to his two cellphone numbers were not responded to.
One of his phones was picked up by a woman who told the Dispatch that Sokwali was busy and she promised to alert him to the text messages.
Contacted for comment, Nyiba referred all questions to the Hawks. In his police statement, Nyiba says that in 2014, he had received a call from Hawks investigative officer Luphumlo Lwana asking him about the Mni Transport quotation. He was then visited by Lwana and another officer.
Nyiba stated: “They asked me to look at a quotation dated December 2013 under the Mni Transport letterhead.
“I informed them that [regarding] the contents of the quotation – date, description, activity and signature – I have no knowledge about them as the signature is not mine. I further informed the investigators that Buffalo City Municipality never requested any quotation from me and I also never submitted any quotation to BCM. I never gave any person permission to submit any quotation of my company to BCM,” part of the statement written in 2014, reads.
The Dispatch has learnt that after not receiving updates from the Hawks after being questioned in 2014, in October 2018, Nyiba again approached the Hawks to inquire about progress in the matter, and another affidavit was drawn up.
Hawks spokesperson Anelisa Feni confirmed that the elite police unit was aware of the case, but said they only became aware of it recently.
“The matter is within our space as from 2018. At this stage, we cannot divulge any further information,” Feni said.
In his 2018 statement, Nyiba says the allegedly fraudulent activity might hinder his tax affairs with the South African Revenue Services (Sars).
“Furthermore, Sars is going to tax me a lot. I never received any money for this tendering,” the statement reads.
He goes on to say that upon being informed by the Hawks in 2014, he approached his legal team so that legal action could be taken against Sokwali.
“I approached my legal advisers to lay a charge against Mzwandile Sokwali for using my company for tendering the procurement [documents] for the Mandela funeral without my consent.”
The quotation, seen by the Dispatch, quotes BCM for the transportation of mourners for five days to memorial services which were held in Gompo, King William’s Town, Mdantsane, East London, Nelson Mandela Stadium and Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane...