By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party Chief Whip, Mmabatho Nthabiseng Mokoena-Zondi has been arrested and charged this morning in Cape Town.
Mokoena is facing charges of fraud and extortion.
She is accused of demanding the money from her fellow party members and threaten to fire them if they did not pay it into her bank account or give her cash.
The members claim that Mokoena-Zondi was demanding a portion of their salaries every month if they wanted to remain MPs.
Payments were made in August, September and October 2024.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), the 46-year-old was served with a warrant of arrest on Thursday in connection with fraudulent activity.
Hawks spokesman Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani said: “It is alleged that during August 2024 to December 2024, the suspect head hunted and recruited four individuals into the party as researchers, and during their employment, she demanded payments under the pretext it was for the legal cost of the President of the same party.”
The suspect is expected to make her first appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
The party’s national disciplinary committee prepared a report which found Mokoena-Zondi guilty of extorting 60% of the salaries of at least three of the party’s parliamentary employees and sent it to Floyd Shivambu, who was then secretary general, and the chair of the disciplinary committee.
Despite the panel that was set up for Mokoena’s disciplinary hearing finding her guilty and recommending that she should be fired, the party has not done so.
According to the report, Mokoena did not dispute the allegations or the evidence against her but claimed she was unaware that she needed a lawyer to present her case.