Former MP Manyaba Rubben Mohlaloga Ordered To Begin 20-Year Prison Sentence For Land Bank Fraud

Former Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs (2007–2009), Manyaba Rubben Mohlaloga, has been instructed to report to the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court today, 23 October 2025.

This follows his conviction and 20-year imprisonment sentence, originally handed down on 14 February 2019.

The sentence stems from one of the landmark investigations conducted by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, which began in Brooklyn in October 2012.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Six Arrested In Primrose As EMPD Seizes Massive Drug And Weapons Cache

Investigations found that in February 2008, a R6 million grant was irregularly paid to a private entity on the verbal instruction of the then Land Bank CEO, bypassing formal approval procedures.

The Land Bank, which managed the AgriBEE Fund valued at R100 million, alerted the Hawks to the irregular payment. The fund had been established by Parliament to support the empowerment of previously disadvantaged farmers.

Manyaba Rubben Mohlaloga Embroiled In A Fraud Case That Shook the Land Bank

Mr Mohlaloga, in his role as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, was among those who personally benefitted from the unlawfully approved grant. His involvement in the scandal marked one of the most high-profile corruption cases linked to agricultural development funds.

He appealed both his conviction and sentence to the Pretoria High Court and later to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), but both appeals were unsuccessful.

On 16 September 2025, Mr Mohlaloga applied for an extension of his bail in the Pretoria High Court. The State opposed the application, and on 13 October 2025, the court ruled against him, ordering him to surrender himself to begin his 20-year prison term.

---

For More, Follow SurgeZirc SA On  Facebook, X,  Instagram and Bluesky