Zuko Komisa
- Four officials and one civilian face charges for orchestrating a R1.585 million fraudulent refund scheme.
- The suspects appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, with the case postponed until late April.
- The City has suspended the implicated staff and is enhancing financial controls to prevent future internal fraud.
The City of Tshwane has issued precautionary suspensions to several Finance Department officials implicated in an organised fraud syndicate.
The move follows a forensic investigation into a “refund scam” that allegedly siphoned approximately R1,585,000 from municipal coffers through irregular transactions detected as far back as May 2023.
Investigators revealed that the syndicate targeted municipal accounts with credit balances, submitting fraudulent refund claims by impersonating legitimate account holders.
These funds were then channelled into a single private bank account linked to a member of the public.
While one official resigned before disciplinary action could be taken, four others appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 4 March 2026.
The City has referred the matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) to ensure criminal accountability. Currently released on warning, the suspects are due back in court on 29 April 2026.
Tshwane authorities have reaffirmed a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, noting that further measures are being implemented to tighten payroll and verification controls.
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The post The ghost in the ledger: How a Tshwane ‘refund syndicate’ vanished with R1.5 million appeared first on KAYA 959.
