Durban -
Still overwhelmed by the killing of her mother, Thandeka Nene, the contractor who was involved in upgrading President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home, did not attend court on Friday.
Instead, her attorney Phyllis Jailall, submitted a sick note to the court that spoke of her acute stress disorder, for which she is being treated by a psychiatrist.
Nene was due to appear before Commercial Court magistrate Christobel Mazibuko on corruption and fraud charges in two separate matters.
The allegations relate to two of her companies overstating their experience as building contractors and securing government tenders worth more than R100 million.
Nene is the sole member of Bonelena Construction and faces 18 counts of fraud, four counts of falsifying information submitted in tender documents, and two counts of corruption, in respect of work she secured for the company.
Nene, who is one of four directors in Ntshantsha Construction, allegedly assaulted a Sunday Tribune journalist during an interview last week.
The directorship of Ntshantsha includes her husband, Eric, sister, Cyndi Mahlalempini, and her sister’s husband, Jordan Ngubane.
They have all been charged with three counts of fraud for exaggerating their work capacity on government tenders which they were awarded.
Only Ngubane was present in court on Friday.
Last month, Nene was arrested and released on the array of charges and was granted bail of R30 000.
Jailall, who also represents Nene’s husband and sister, applied for the matter to be postponed to January.
State prosecutor Ashika Lakan did not contest Jailall’s appeal and it was granted by Mazibuko.
Nene’s mother, Bavelile Mahlalempini-Mqadi, died after she had been stabbed 21 times – in front of her three nephews – at her Nagina home near Mariannhill, earlier this month.
Six men allegedly entered and ransacked the house before killing Mahlalempini-Mqadi and fleeing with a car.
Mahlalempini-Mqadi was buried on Saturday.
- Sunday Tribune