By REGINALD KANYANE
6 July 2026 – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has successfully opposed a bail application based on alleged new facts brought by Janitha van Reenen Coetzee (25) in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court. Coetzee faces a charge of fraud involving approximately R424 000, allegedly defrauded from the Emfuleni Local Municipality.
The NPA spokesperson in Gauteng, Tshegofatso Makhudu said it is alleged that the accused misrepresented herself as an independent agent capable of assisting residents in obtaining discounts on outstanding municipal accounts. Makhudu said the victims allegedly paid her money to make discounted payments to the municipality on their behalf.
“However, the funds were allegedly never paid over to the municipality. The accused also allegedly submitted claims to the municipality on behalf of the victims. It is further alleged that the municipality paid approximately R424 000 to the accused, which was never paid to the intended beneficiaries.
“The alleged fraud was uncovered when the then Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Martha Mani Rantsofu, who has since passed away, identified suspicious claims amounting to approximately R424 000 and reported the matter to her manager,” she said.
Makhudu further said following an internal investigation, the municipality reported the matter to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation. She added that during the bail proceedings, the state, represented by prosecutor Moses Raditsela, opposed the application and argued that the accused posed a flight risk because her residential address could not be properly verified due to inconsistencies regarding her place of residence.
“The state further submitted that no genuine new facts had been presented to the court, as the issues raised had already been considered and addressed during the previous bail application. It argued that releasing the accused on bail would not be in the interests of justice.
“In delivering judgment, the magistrate agreed with the state’s submissions and found that the information presented by the accused did not constitute new facts. The court further held that it would not be in the interests of justice to release the accused on bail,” said Makhudu.
She said consequently, the bail application based on new facts was dismissed. Makhudu said the matter was postponed to 23 July 2026, for further investigation.
The Guardian 