3 New Suspects Appear In East London Court Over R9.3 Million Land Claim Fraud

Three more suspects appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court in connection with a massive land claim fraud scheme that has defrauded the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs of over R9.3 million.

The suspects—Nozipho Goci (58), Siphokazi Goci (55), and Nonzame Jikityala (27)—were arrested by the Hawks in Mdantsane and Cambridge on March 14.

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They are accused of being part of a fraudulent scheme that involved altering land claim documents and redirecting payments to relatives instead of the rightful claimants.

The three new defendants bring the total number of suspects to 12.

Fraudulent Land Claim Activity Spanning 7 Years

The investigation, which began in 2017, has revealed that one of the suspects, Funeka Malusi, a senior manager at the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs, allegedly colluded with her relatives to approve and submit fraudulent land claims.

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Malusi is accused of unlawfully editing land claim documents by substituting the rightful beneficiary details with those of her family members, including her domestic worker.

As a result, the legitimate land claimants never received their payments.

The total amount defrauded from the department stands at over R9.3 million.

Malusi, along with her co-accused, was arrested and released on bail in 2024.

She faces serious charges of fraud and misconduct in a public office.

The investigation has already resulted in several arrests, including Malusi’s daughter, Chulumanco Malusi (25), and other individuals who played a role in the scheme, such as Avukile Gxalo (54), Zoliswa Manditsa (47), and Zoleka Mbinambina (55).

Court Proceedings And Further Investigation

During Monday’s court appearance, the newly arrested suspects were each granted bail of R10,000.

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The case, have raised concerns of corruption within the department, and have been remanded to April 10 for further investigation.

The Hawks’ investigation was initiated after a tip-off about irregularities in land claim payments, prompting authorities to probe the extensive fraud activity.

The department has vowed to ensure accountability and has promised to track down all those involved in the large-scale fraud, which has affected many deserving land claimants.

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