EBET LICENCE HOLDER’S ESTATE: DIVIDENDS NOT REMITTED

MBABANE – The real issue in the yet-to-be wound up estate of the late initial licence holder of eBet, Mduduzi Maziya, is who pockets the dividends.

This is according to Manzini Assistant Master Makhosazane Mdluli, who was responding to concerns raised by Mduduzi’s relatives, Nelisiwe and Nkululeko Maziya yesterday, when they appeared before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Master’s Office affairs. Nelisiwe and Nkululeko alleged that Nonjabuliso Maziya’s marriage certificate was forged and that she was not lawfully married to Mduduzi. They accused Mdluli of appointing Nonjabuliso, who is now a Director of 8Bet, as the executor of Mduduzi’s estate. They alleged that the assistant master appointed the executrix in their absence. Nelisiwe and Nkululeko appeared before the commission, together with their legal representative, Kwendza’kufani Ginindza of Sibusiso B. Shongwe and Associates.

Application

Ginindza told the commission that there was a court application for the removal of the executrix, Nonjabuliso, challenging the validity of the latter’s marriage certificate and declaring her marriage to Mduduzi bigamous. However, Nonjabuliso’s attorney, Mlungisi Khumalo, of Khumalo Attorneys, denied that there was a court application to that effect. The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested by the commission. Some of the individuals and/or representatives of the entities might be summoned to appear before the commission. According to Assistant Master Mdluli, it would seem that her appointment of Nonjabuliso as the executrix was the cause of the problems in the estate, however, the real issue is the dividends of eBet; who benefits from them? Mdluli told the commission that Nonjabuliso reported Mduduzi’s estate on September 3, 2020. She said the deceased owned a house at Fairview in Manzini and another in Maputo, Mozambique.

He was said to have also owned four motor vehicles, including a tractor and he had no money in the bank. The death notice, according to Mdluli, reflected that Mduduzi and Nonjabuliso were married and had two children. Mduduzi had 10 children in total. Mdluli said the first next of kin meeting was scheduled for October 6, 2020, and it did not proceed. The Maziya family is said to have alleged that Mduduzi had a wife, Lindiwe Mbhele, who was residing in the Republic of South Africa. Mdluli informed the commission that the family failed to produce proof of the purported marriage.

appear

“We gave them a chance to come with the wife or she must write a letter stating what should happen. The Maziya family didn’t come back and in 2021 they didn’t appear at the master’s office. Nonjabuliso always came to our offices when we called them.  She came with her two children.’’ She further informed the commission that they called another meeting on June 6, 2022 and further advertised it in the newspapers. She said each time a meeting was called, Nonjabuliso would attend, but the others would not. Mdluli said in a certain instance, she gave the family 30 days to come to a meeting after one Lindokuhle Shongwe had reported that the family was bereaved, resulting in meeting that had been called at the time to be postponed.

appointed

After the 30 days, said Mdluli, they failed to meet, but only Nonjabuliso and her children arrived. She said in a meeting of July 14, 2022, she appointed Nonjabuliso as the executrix of the estate. Shortly afterwards, Mdluli stated that members of the Maziya family arrived but the purported wife, Mbhele, was not present. “I told them that I had appointed Nonjabuliso. Make Mbhele was not present. They did not bring Make Mbhele’s marriage certificate. They raised the issue of Nonjabuliso’s marriage certificate, which they said was forged. I suspended her appointment pending verification of the allegations. They agreed to bring Make Mbhele, because they were complaining that make Nonjabuliso was not the rightful wife. Make Nonjabuliso complained that a lot was happening in the file.

“It transpired that Mduduzi was the Director of Swazi Bet and dividends were being paid but not remitted to the Master’s Office, such that school fees were not paid,” said Mdluli.
The assistant master said she wrote to the Births Marriages and Deaths (BMD) Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs, to verify the authenticity of the marriage certificate and the result was that it was authentic. The marriage of Nonjabuliso and Mduduzi, according to Mdluli was registered as the first wife for both of them. She said when she arrived in the marriage, Gladys and Mduduzi were divorced and he moved on to remarry and have children in the new marriage.

Marriage

Judge Mzwandile Fakudze told Mdluli that Nelisiwe and Nkululeko were complaining that Nonjabuliso was the first wife, yet there had been others before her. Mdluli said marriage certificates were registered at the BMDs Department, not the Master’s Office. Mdluli said none of the Maziyas was interested in attending meetings at the Master’s Office, except Nonjabuliso. She also said Nonjabuliso did not stay where Mduduzi’s cars were kept and that it was not possible for the master to hold a meeting and leave others outside. Nelisiwe informed the commission that they brought Maseko’s certificate on the first day and the assistant master said they should approach the umphakatsi, because the matter was above her.
She wondered how the assistant master could accept a death certificate in the absence of a marriage certificate.

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