Another Mpumalanga tycoon has been nabbed in relation to the alleged elaborate R89m car licence disc fraud.
Godgift Gcina Ngcamphalala, 52, from Barberton, is the owner of Ithuba Trucks Management, which has a fleet of more than 30 motor vehicles including truck-tractors and trailers.
Ngcamphalala’s arrest comes after Morris Robert Shabalala, 58, who owns companies in transport and logistics, mining and industrial cleaning, appeared in the Mbombela magistrate’s court in Mpumalanga on Tuesday facing charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
Shabalala was released on R15,000 bail. Other businesspeople, including Demieties Pieter Botes, 46, and Magidi Doctor Mpapane, 59, were also arrested earlier this year.
Their arrests followed an investigation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the Hawks and Special Investigating Unit into R89m fraud and corruption related to vehicle licence fees in the province.
The bulk of the arrests took place between December 2022 and April. They are all expected to appear in the Mbombela Commercial Crimes Court on August 30.
Zwane said about 100 suspects were involved in the alleged fraudulent activities dating back to 2016.
Another businessman busted in the R89m car licence disc fraud
About 100 suspects involved in alleged fraudulent activities
Another Mpumalanga tycoon has been nabbed in relation to the alleged elaborate R89m car licence disc fraud.
Godgift Gcina Ngcamphalala, 52, from Barberton, is the owner of Ithuba Trucks Management, which has a fleet of more than 30 motor vehicles including truck-tractors and trailers.
Ngcamphalala’s arrest comes after Morris Robert Shabalala, 58, who owns companies in transport and logistics, mining and industrial cleaning, appeared in the Mbombela magistrate’s court in Mpumalanga on Tuesday facing charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
Shabalala was released on R15,000 bail. Other businesspeople, including Demieties Pieter Botes, 46, and Magidi Doctor Mpapane, 59, were also arrested earlier this year.
Their arrests followed an investigation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the Hawks and Special Investigating Unit into R89m fraud and corruption related to vehicle licence fees in the province.
The bulk of the arrests took place between December 2022 and April. They are all expected to appear in the Mbombela Commercial Crimes Court on August 30.
Zwane said about 100 suspects were involved in the alleged fraudulent activities dating back to 2016.
According to the RTMC, Ngcamphalala allegedly colluded with former administration staff at the department of community safety, security and liaison helpdesk.
“…Barberton licencing officials [allegedly have had] his profile unlawfully moved from Barberton Registering Authority to the helpdesk with the intention to have vehicle licence fees and penalties owed by him fraudulently dumped or removed from his name,” said the RTMC’s Simon Zwane.
“A large sum of money was subsequently paid into the bank account of the officials on the day the illicit transaction was concluded.
Zwane told Sowetan that he believed that the Mbombela licence registration offices were used in the scam “because they had probably identified that staff members in Nelspruit were easily corruptible”.
“The RTMC has put technological measures in place to prevent such instances from taking place. The system is reviewed constantly and fixes are implemented to ensure it works properly.
“There is no evidence to show that the system is to blame. But the system is operated by human beings who may act with ulterior motives. Vigilance and investigations such as these are designed to prevent possible abuses and protect the system from possible abuse,” he said.