NHLANGANO – The integrity of Eswatini’s legal system has been dealt a further blow following the appearance of a fourth court clerk before the Nhlangano Magistrates Court.
Ncamiso Alex Matsebula, a 43-year-old clerk from Mbangweni, appeared in court today alongside Mduduzi Mdluli, a 51-year-old resident of Manzini. Both men were granted bail of E2 000 as the State continues investigating allegations of fraud and the systematic defeating of the ends of justice.
The appearance of Matsebula and Mdluli marks a significant escalation in a probe that has now ensnared five judicial officials across the country. During today’s proceedings, Matsebula was represented by Raymond Mwelase, while Mdluli moved an application to secure legal representation. Mwelase argued for his client’s release on bail, asserting that Matsebula is a liSwati with no intention of fleeing the jurisdiction or interfering with potential witnesses.
The Crown, however, signalled the gravity of the ongoing inquiry by successfully applying for the seizure of the accused persons’ electronic devices. Laptops, USB drives and mobile phones belonging to both Matsebula and Mdluli are now in the custody of investigators, as authorities seek to trace the digital footprint of alleged fraudulent activities. The matter has been postponed to next Monday, pending the allocation of a formal trial date.
The specific charges against Matsebula and Mdluli date back to early 2022. The prosecution alleges that on February 25, 2022, in Nhlangano, the accused acted in concert to defraud the Eswatini Government. It is claimed they misrepresented to His Majesty’s Correctional Services that a convict had paid a fine of E5 000.
By allegedly using a falsified government general receipt, they induced the authorities to release the convict, causing a potential prejudice of E5 000 to the Treasury Department.
Furthermore, the duo faces charges of defeating the ends of justice stemming from an incident on March 23, 2022. The Crown alleges that the accused manufactured a false liberation warrant to facilitate the release of a prisoner from the Nhlangano Correctional Services. This individual had neither completed their lawful custodial sentence as imposed by the Nhlangano Magistrates Court nor paid the requisite fine.
While Matsebula and Mdluli appeared yesterday, the broader context of this scandal was laid bare on Monday when two other clerks appeared before Senior Magistrate Joseph Dlamini at the Shiselweni Magistrates Court. Vusisizwe Bonginkosi Sithole, 38, and Setsabile Primrose Kunene, 43, both faced serious indictments.
Sithole is accused of fraud dating back to April 2023. The Crown alleges that while serving as a clerk and interpreter, he intercepted E4 000 intended for the bail of two individuals, Lindani Mndzebele and Samkelo Shabangu.
Instead of remitting these funds to the Revenue Offices, Sithole allegedly pocketed the money while still securing the prisoners’ release. In a separate and somewhat brazen charge, Sithole is also accused of housebreaking and theft.
It is alleged that on March 6, 2023, he broke into the premises of the Shiselweni Magistrates Court to steal a 42-inch Samsung television valued at E6 000.
Kunene, who is based at the Manzini Magistrates Court, faces charges similar to those of Matsebula. It is alleged that in July 2022, she misrepresented that an inmate, Bongekile Thumbela, had paid a E5 000 fine, subsequently issuing a false liberation warrant to secure an early release from a two-year sentence. Both Sithole and Kunene were granted E2 000 bail and are due back in court alongside Matsebula in late February.
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