By Lloyd Phillips
A KwaZulu-Natal man was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday for defrauding the province’s Department of Agriculture of R1.5 million. His co-accused is already serving a 16-year sentence.
Mlungisi Brian Khumalo (46) had earlier pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud and 14 of money laundering.
According to the spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Natasha Kara, Khumalo visited the province’s then Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development in 2012 to see if tenders were available. During his reconnaissance trip, he met Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mkhize (50), who worked at the department.
Mkhize, who managed a substantial budget, told Khumalo he could create fictitious tender contracts and authorise payments for them.
“Mkhize forged documents to create the impression that tenders were issued to Khumalo’s companies, Khumzi and Ubhaqa, for services rendered to the Department of Agriculture. Over a period of time, approximately R1.5 million was paid to them.”
Khumalo gave part of the proceeds to Mkhize.
The department’s chief financial officer was the whistleblower, after which the two were arrested.
According to a statement from the Hawks, Mkhize had already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. Although Khumalo pleaded guilty in June 2024, he was only sentenced on Friday.
The chief financial officer who laid the criminal charges testified, among other things, that Mkhize and Khumalo’s violations severely harmed the department’s work to subsidise farmers to breed livestock and grow crops.
“The asset forfeiture unit was unable to recover any money from Khumalo, but was able to recover approximately R200 000 from Mkhize’s bank account,” says Kara.
