SITEKI – The Office of the Master of the High Court in Lubombo has opened a fraud case against a Mbabane lawyer after discovering that E1.5 million went missing from the estate of a late astute businessman.
The late businessman who hailed from Lavumisa was also a commercial farmer. Public records show that he owned Farm Bansela 520 and operated a filling station and restaurant in Lavumisa.
The matter comes at a time when the nation is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the commission of enquiry established to investigate operations within the Office of the Master of the High Court, amid allegations of maladministration and irregularities relating to the handling of deceased estates.
According to information gathered by the Times of Eswatini, officials from the Office of the Master in Siteki reported the matter to police after internal investigations allegedly revealed irregular transactions involving proceeds from the sale of a farm belonging to the estate of the late businessman.
Police records indicate that the master of the High Court in the Lubombo Region reported the matter on July 29, 2026, at about 2pm. It is alleged that E1.5 million had been stolen by a known person following transactions linked to the sale of a farm situated in Lavumisa.
According to statements reportedly provided to police by officials from the Office of the Master, the lawyer had been appointed executor of the deceased businessman’s estate following his death.
The late businessman is said to have sold one of his farms during his lifetime to another businessman for E1.3 million. Information gathered is that the buyer initially paid E1 million, leaving an outstanding balance of E300 000.
Before the remaining amount could be settled, the businessman died, leaving the executor responsible for administering the estate and recovering all outstanding monies due to the estate.
However, it is alleged that instead of collecting the E300 000 balance from the original purchaser, the executor reclaimed the farm and later resold it to another senior legal practitioner based in Manzini for E1.8 million.
It is alleged that the original buyer later lodged a complaint after discovering that the property had been transferred to another person despite having already paid E1 million towards the purchase price.
According to a statement recorded with police, the beneficiaries of the estate also never consented to the sale of the farm by the executor or the initial buyer.
The buyer is said to have complained that he had lost the E1 million he paid because the property was allegedly resold without his knowledge and without any refund being made to him.
Information gathered is that the executor later deposited E300 000 into the estate account held by the Office of the Master, allegedly claiming that this amount represented the outstanding balance that had been paid by the original buyer.
However, family members of the deceased businessman are said to have conducted their own investigations after becoming suspicious about the transactions.
Their investigations revealed that the original buyer had allegedly never resold the property and had not authorised any sale of the farm to another person.
The original buyer is further said to have deposed to an affidavit disputing claims that he had relinquished his rights to the property or consented to its resale.
It is alleged that the executor instead repossessed the property and sold it to another buyer for E1.8 million, with investigators now trying to establish how the proceeds of the transaction were handled.
According to information contained in statements submitted to the police, officials are investigating allegations that approximately E1 million from the transaction may not have been paid into the estate account.
Police sources said investigators were expected to obtain bank records and supporting documents to determine the flow of funds and establish whether any criminal conduct had occurred.
Police Information and Communication Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Zwane confirmed that the Office of the Master of the High Court in the Lubombo Region had reported the matter to police. She said the case is currently under investigation and, at the time of publication, no arrests have been made.
In January 2024, Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala established a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the operations of the Office of the Master of the High Court following a surge in complaints from members of the public over the administration of deceased estates.
The commission, chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Majahenkhaba Dlamini, travelled across the country receiving evidence from beneficiaries, executors, officials and other stakeholders.
Among the issues raised were allegations of the misappropriation of estate funds, maladministration, delays in the finalisation of estates and failures by some executors to properly account for assets belonging to deceased persons.
The commission has since completed its work and submitted its report to the chief justice, with the nation still awaiting its findings and recommendations.
The commission heard allegations relating to the handling of estates and it was tasked with determining whether there were weaknesses in systems and procedures within the office. The justice mentioned recently that the report will be released soon.
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