Times Of Swaziland: MANZINI FA COO ARRESTED FOR FRAUD

MANZINI FA COO ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
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Nimrod Hlophe and Phiwase Phungwayo  on 24/01/2025 08:06:00


MBABANE – Simiso Vika Khumalo, the Treasurer and Chief Operations Officer
(COO) of the Manzini Regional Football Association (MRFA), has been arrested and
charged with fraud. Khumalo is accused of defrauding the MRFA of E71 880 on
October 24, 2024. It is alleged that he forged the signature of MRFA Chairman
Vusi Hall to facilitate this act. According to the charges, while employed as
treasurer, Khumalo is said to have misrepresented himself to Nedbank Eswatini
Limited, using cash withdrawal forms that bore the forged signature of Hall.
This alleged misrepresentation is said to have resulted in a financial loss to
the MRFA amounting to E71 880.
The charge sheet states that Khumalo was aware that the documents he presented
were fraudulent at the time of the transaction, thereby committing the crime of
fraud. Khumalo appeared at the Manzini Magistrates Court before Principal
Magistrate Florence Msibi a few days ago, where he was informed of his right to
legal representation. He was granted bail set at E8 000, with a trial date
scheduled for July 31, 2025. In a separate but similar case, Danny Jordaan,
President of the South African Football Association (SAFA), was arrested in
November, 2024 on charges of fraud and embezzlement. It was alleged that Jordaan
misused SAFA resources for personal gain between 2014 and 2018, with accusations
of misappropriating funds totalling E1.3 million. His co-accused in this matter
was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Gronie Hluyo.