AFU executes restraint order worth millions – NPA

12 September 2022

According to a provisional restraint order granted last month by the Pietermaritzburg High Court, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), restrained a house belonging to Nandi Sakhile Msimang. The house, valued at over R1.1 million, is situated in a retirement village in Pretoria. In its application, the AFU outlined the reason for the order, as Msimang is alleged to have prejudiced the KZN Department of Health (DoH) of R31.2 million.

In 2013, following a tender process, Mzansi LifeCare (Pty) Ltd, under the directorship of Msimang, was awarded a tender to provide DoH with mobile clinics on a lease basis. After three years, DoH bought the mobile units from Mzansi LifeCare at R31.2 million. However, when DoH tried to transfer ownership of the trucks and license the mobile units, they discovered that Mzansi LifeCare owed licensing fees to the licensing authority and that the capacity of the trucks was not enough to pull the very large trailers.

At this stage, Msimang is alleged to have misrepresented to the fleet manager at DoH, that she was authorised to remove the mobile units from DoH premises. She did this and sold the trucks to another company, thus prejudicing the DoH of R31.2 million.

Apart from the house, which will be kept under curatorship, the AFU will be seeking to trace further assets, as the order granted is valued at R31.2 million.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit, with its asset recovery powers, is a key tool in the NPA’s arsenal for the fight against corruption and it will be used diligently, especially in such instances where state funds earmarked for service delivery are diverted for private gain. The NPA hopes that the restraint will ultimately result in the proceeds of this crime being recovered back to the state, through a forfeiture order. This is to ensure that crime does not pay.

Issued by Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, NPA Regional Spokesperson, KZN Division, 12 September 2022