Healer and spouse in R3,2 million UIF Social Relief Fund saga released on bail
Benson Ntlemo
Well-known Limpopo traditional healer Masenyani William Khosa of Nwa Khuwana Village who has 24 wives and 93 children who with his new wife are facing charges of fraud, alternately theft of Covid money to the tune of R3,2 million rand was yesterday granted bail by the Malamulele magistrate court.
Masenyani wa ka Mboni, as Khosa, 75 is called and his wife Hlamalani Dorris Mashimbyi, 47, were each granted R20 000 bail by magistrate CK Ngoako.
The magistrate said the two qualifies to be released on bail since the interest of justice permitted.
“There is no evidence from the state that should they be released on bail they will endanger the safety of the public or they will try to avoid trial,” said Ngoako.
She also said the accused are not likely to intimidate witnesses or to conceal or destroy evidence.
Ngoako said she agreed with the submissions of their legal representative that the interest of justice permitted their release.
She released them on conditions that they should surrender their passports, they must avail themselves to court on each date and should not temper with witnesses.
The two are facing charges of fraud alternately theft involving Covid 19 UIF Social Relief Fund on behalf of Mashimbyi’s former employees of Malamulele Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP).
The two had applied for bail through making affidavits and handing them to the court and outlined their personal circumstances.
In the affidavits both of them committed themselves to come to court on each court date and that they would not interfere with state witnesses.
Both had said they were going to plead not guilty to the charges although for the purposes of bail application they said they were advised not to dwell on the merit of the case.
In her sworn affidavit, Mashimbyi who is the director of M’tititi Drop In Centre and the first accused said she has six children four of whom still at school while the other two are unemployed.
She has a passport but has no relatives outside South Africa and has no intention of leaving the country.
Accused two is M’tititi Drop in Centre represented by Mashimbyi as the director while Khosa is accused three.
Khosa gave his address as stand number 901 at Nwa Khuwana Village in Giyani where he had been residing since 1990, he said he has other stands to accommodate his family of 24 wives and 93 children.
He was born at Shigalo in the Collins Chabane Local municipality but the family later moved to Muyexe in Giyani where he grew up before moving to Nwa Khuwana.
Out of his many children 39 are still under his support while the others are grownups and are on their own.
Khosa also cited two guest houses that he owns, one at Nwa-Khuwana Village and the other at Risinga View, both areas falling under the Greater Giyani Local municipality.
He also said he was a traditional healer with many clients and has 14 stands at Nwa Khuwana and a house at Risinga View and five Spaza shops.
Khosa also cited that he had a chronic disease namely high blood pressure and sugar diabetes.
He had one previous conviction for reckless and negligent driving for which he paid a fine and has no other outstanding pending cases.
He and Mashimbyi had a wedding party after he had paid lobola but less than a week thereafter they were both arrested by the Hawks.
Mashimbyi herself said she has six children four of whom are still at school. The other two are unemployed.
Mashimbye has no previous or other pending cases.
Their lawyer Cedric Baloyi from MC Baloyi Attorneys asked the court to take their personal circumstances and release them on bail.
Colonel Timothy Seabi for the police has opposed bail on the basis that there would be a public outcry.
He said the case was also in the public interest and the two would not be safe should they be released on bail.
However this was opposed by Baloyi the lawyer for the accused.
Advocate Patrick Nkuna, the deputy director for public prosecutions had also opposed bail on the basis that he thought they would intimidate witnesses.
Baloyi said they had no history of committing such.
