Former department official arrested for R1.3m land claim ‘fraud’ - TimesLIVE
The Hawks in Mpumalanga have arrested a 50-year-old former deputy director of finance at the department of rural development and land reform in connection with alleged R1.35m fraud involving funds intended to support a community land restitution project.
Grace Mokoka was arrested in connection with a case registered in Nelspruit in 2018 and is facing charges of fraud, theft and corruption in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and money-laundering in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
According to the Hawks in Mpumalanga, the investigation stems from a land restitution project involving the Ingogo Communal Property Association (CPA), which successfully lodged a land claim in 2018.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Lt- Col Magonseni Nkosi said after the restoration of the land to the community, the CPA sought assistance from the department to acquire farming and firefighting equipment.
“It is alleged the project was exploited through a fraudulent scheme in which an invoice was submitted by MPG Mash Trading for services that were never rendered,” Nkosi said.
Mokoka, who was employed as deputy director of finance at the time, allegedly irregularly approved a payment of R1,358,440 to the company without services being rendered and without following the required procurement processes.
Nkosi said the investigation further revealed the company’s director, Mduduzi Mashwama, allegedly submitted the invoice after being approached by Sikhumbuzo Nkosi, who had been appointed as project manager by Godfrey Mchunu, a departmental project officer.
Mchunu and Nkosi were arrested in connection with the matter in 2025.
“Mashwama has also been charged in his personal capacity and as a representative of the company. Nkosi and Mokoka were previously sentenced to 10 years’ direct imprisonment in separate but similar matters. They were both released on parole when they were arrested in this case,” said Nkosi.
Mokoka appeared before the Mbombela magistrate’s court on Tuesday, where she was granted bail of R1,000, and the matter was postponed to October 26 2026, when she will join her co-accused, who were also released on R1,000 bail each.
