North West — 12 Nov 2025: The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has sentenced former North West Development Corporation (NWDC) Chief Financial Officer Kudakwashe Mpofu (33) to three years’ imprisonment for fraud, with a further three years suspended for five years on condition he is not convicted of fraud during the suspension period.

Mpofu was arrested in January 2025 by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit after probes found he used a fraudulent South African permanent residence permit to secure employment at the NWDC. The court heard the NWDC advertised an Asset Manager post in March 2021; Mpofu applied, submitted the bogus permit, was appointed on 1 May 2021, and later promoted to CFO on 1 June 2023. The Department of Home Affairs confirmed the permit was never issued.

Pleading guilty to two counts of fraud, Mpofu faced aggravating arguments from Adv. Nkhetheni Mudau, who told the court the accused benefited financially—earning over R3 million during his tenure—and failed to explain how he obtained the document.

Welcoming the outcome, Dr Rachel Makhari, Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, said the case underscores the NPA’s resolve to prosecute commercial crimes that erode public trust and institutional integrity.

-The VIP Team 

-NPA

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