The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has obtained a preservation order in the Northern Cape, freezing assets worth R27 million in connection with an alleged Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) corruption case.
- The assets belong to prominent Kimberley businessman Somandla Sibisi and his companies, Macronym 37 and Aphiwokuhle Holdings. The frozen assets include a residential property valued at R900,000, a business property known as Live Café purchased for over R2 million, kitchen equipment worth more than R300,000, and a 2013 model Audi A1 car bought for R130,000.
- These assets are believed to have been acquired with funds received from the Northern Cape Department of Health through PPE-related tenders.
- The AFU’s preservation order, along with arrests and court appearances, stems from a collaborative effort involving the AFU, the Special Commercial Crimes Unit, the Special Investigation Unit, and the Directorate of Priority Crimes Unit.
- Somandla Sibisi, along with twelve co-accused, appeared before the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court on October 11, 2023. The charges they face include contravention of provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, fraud, corruption, forgery, money laundering, uttering, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice, involving an amount exceeding R26.9 million.
- The co-accused individuals, including former officials from the Northern Cape Department of Health, are also out on bail in another PPE-related matter, amounting to over R16 million, which will be heard in the Kimberley District Court on October 16, 2023.
- The frozen assets will be preserved pending the AFU’s application for final forfeiture to the State, further intensifying efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability in the management of public funds.