The Bethal Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 61-year-old Martin Mandla Mlotshwa after finding him guilty on charges of corruption.
The conviction and sentencing followed a lengthy investigation conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, also known as the Hawks, a Middelburg-based serious corruption investigation unit.
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Spokesperson for the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala said in June 20219, Mlotshwa, who was a nurse working at the Sead Community Health Care Centre (CHC), in eMzinoni, Bethal, demanded gratification from a patient who came to the clinic seeking medical assistance to terminate her pregnancy.
“The male nurse (Mlotshwa) introduced himself as Mr Sithole, and he told the patient that the services that she required would not be possible because the pregnancy was already at 12 weeks.
“He then told the patient that if she could pay him R700 gratification, he could assist her,” according to Tshabalala.
The arrangement was made for the money to be paid to the nurse. “The matter was reported to the police and further transferred to the Hawks for further investigation. An undercover operation was authorized and executed. The accused was arrested upon receipt of the gratification money on 02 July 2019,” said Tshabalala.
“During further investigation, it was established that the real surname of the nurse was not Sithole but Mlotshwa.”
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Mlotshwa appeared before court on several occasions, until the matter was finalized. “On Friday, 29 September 2023, the accused was found guilty and sentenced to eight years direct imprisonment by the Bethal Regional Court,” said Tshabalala.
Meanwhile, the provincial head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Nicholas Jacobus Gerber has saluted the investigation team “for their excellent investigation which led to the appropriate sentence”. “This will send a stern message to government and private citizens to refrain from corruption, no matter how small as it might just land you behind bars for a lengthy time,” he said.
