Two senior Nkandla Local Municipality officials and a former employee in the north of KwaZulu-Natal are expected to appear in court for a bail application following their arrest on Tuesday for fraud and forgery charges
The accused made their first appearance in the Nkandla Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, and they were remanded in custody until Friday for bail application.
KZN police spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu confirmed the arrest, saying the three suspects, aged between 35 and 50, have been arrested by Nkandla detectives for fraud and forgery, which took place in 2022.
“The suspects appeared in the Nkandla Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 11 March 2025, and were remanded in custody until 14 March 2025 for bail application,” said Ndlovu.
The officials and a former employee, who could not be named since they are yet to plead, allegedly defrauded the municipality’s then-traffic police officer, Zandile Madlala, in 2022.
“Madlala opened a case of fraud and forgery, however, she died last year without seeing justice. The docket was taken to the senior prosecutor for a decision and recently decided that the three must be prosecuted, hence their arrest,” said the source
According to a source in the municipality, the officer fell sick and was in and out of hospital. In July 2022, she did not receive her salary, and upon investigation, she found that someone had forged her signature indicating that she had resigned.
The source said she came to the office and demanded to know who had forged her signature and denied that she ever resigned, however, no one was able to assist her, including the municipality leadership under the late Mayor Mbhekiseni Biyela.
The source added that the person that masterminded the fraud was a Human Resources official, and upon being investigated, left the employment.
Acting mayor, Nonhlanhla Nzuza, said the municipality would not comment since the matter is sub judice.