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News24 reports that a Mpumalanga businessman, Morris Robert Shabalala, is the latest person to be arrested for his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of R89 million from the provincial vehicle licensing department.
Shabalala, who owns a fleet of buses and semi-trailers registered under the Lamavuso Family Trust, appeared in the Mbombela Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering. According to Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane, Shabalala's arrest was linked to the arrest of 17 others, including two businesspeople, five former Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison employees and licensing officials based at the registering authorities in Mbombela, Mkhondo, Mashishing, KwaMhlushwa and Delmas. It is alleged that the community safety department employees, who worked the department's helpdesk, colluded with the licensing officials to fraudulently issue vehicle licence discs to corrupt fleet owners and company representatives. The amount of revenue lost in unpaid fees in the period 2016 to 2019 was R89 million. "In the case of Mr Shabalala, it is alleged that the file for the renewal of his fleet was unlawfully moved from the Standerton registering authority to the Nelspruit (Mbombela) helpdesk with the intention to commit a crime. Preliminary investigations showed that the state lost R343,332 in vehicle licence fees and penalties that were not paid. A lump sum of money was made into the account of one of the suspected officials on the day that the illicit transaction was concluded," Zwane reported. Shabalala was released on R15,000 bail and all the accused are expected to appear in the Mbombela Commercial Crimes Court on 30 August.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Bhengu at News24
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