Johannesburg - Bongani Sibuyi, 31, was found guilty and sentenced by the Bushbuckridge Magistrates' Court for fraud and money laundering on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Sibuyi was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 36 months imprisonment, or R60 000, half of which is suspended, while his partner was cleared on all charges.
The sentence was preceded by a lengthy and scrupulous exploration, which was effected by the Serious Corruption Investigation Team of the Hawks in Nelspruit.
According to the police, the probe revealed that over the period between 2017 and 2018, Bongani Sibuyi recruited unemployed youth from poor rural areas of Bushbuckridge to be part of a skills development and leadership programme.
"More than 300 youth registered for the project, and they were required to pay an administration fee of R250 each into a company account."
It is revealed that learners were promised a stipend of R3 500 per month.
A few months after the commencement of the project, learners embarked on a strike due to the non-payment of the stipend as promised, and as such, the programme could not proceed.
It was found that the company was not registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). Moreover, it was not accredited by the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA).
The money deposited was not used for the purpose it was intended for, and subsequently, Sibuyi was arrested with his partner.
The Star