The East London Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that Cynthia Nompumelelo Nobangule, Vuyolwethu Mashologu, and Nomathembe Gwanqana were convicted and sentenced.
This occurred before the Zwelitsha Regional Court on 30 January 2026. The trio is said to have abused their official roles as checking officers, cashiers, counter clerks, and sub-accountants.
The court convicted the accused on 300 counts of fraud, which were taken as one for sentencing purposes.
The former Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court officials were given suspended sentences of six years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay back R60 000 each for their involvement in maintenance funds fraud.
They were implicated in a scheme that deprived beneficiaries of financial support for more than a year.
According to a statement by the Hawks, the case stemmed from an internal probe by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development after “material irregularities” were detected in the Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court maintenance trust account.
It was established that between April 2003 and July 2004, the accused “acted either individually or in concert with a common criminal purpose” to defraud the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
“The accused systematically manipulated maintenance payment schedules, fraudulently reflecting that lawful beneficiaries had received maintenance payments,” the Hawks said.
Bongi Sikelo 