By AGISANANG SCUFF
26 August 2026- The Northern Cape High Court sitting in Kimberley granted the Hawks Asset Forfeiture Investigation and National Prosecuting Authority ‘s Asset Forfeiture Unit forfeiture orders of vehicles exceeding combined value of R4.4 million. The first case involves an accused who previously served as a financial administrator at Kathu High School.
The Hawks spokesperson in Northern Cape Warrant Officer Nomthandazo Mnisi said the woman is accused of embezzling school funds to the tune of R4.6 million rands. Mnisi said the modus operandi included creating separate private banking accounts where School funds were diverted.
“Financial discrepancies were identified in October 2025, when an audit detected irregularities in the school’s financial records. The stolen funds included normal school fees and donor amounts, which are used to pay School Governing Body (SGB) teacher’s salaries.
“The Directorate’s investigation revealed that the accused created factious invoices purporting to be legitimate school suppliers and authorised payments which went to her private account and for her benefit. Allegations are, the accused further paid herself overtime despite the school’s policy prohibiting such payments,” she said.
Mnisi further said the matter was referred to Asset Forfeiture Investigation and Asset Forfeiture Unit for further probing. She added that the preservation orders of six vehicles and caravans belonging to the accused were granted to the state.
“In a separate incident, the team acquired a preservation order of two vehicles belonging to a person of interest who deals and transport Sugilite/Wasselite from Johannesburg to Kuruman area,” said Mnisi.
Meanwhile, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPPCI) Provincial Head in the Northern Cape, Major General Steven Mabuela, congratulated the teams for their resilience in solving out cases.
The Guardian 