EAST LONDON, South Africa — The East London Regional Court on 3 October 2025 convicted four former Ngqushwa municipal officials of fraud and contraventions of the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA).
The convicted officials are:
Misiwe Phyllis Mpahlwa (54) – former Municipal Manager
Tinus Matthysen (66) – former acting Chief Financial Officer
Mkhuseli Wiseman Mxekezo (49) – former Director of Corporate Services
Busisiwe Mfunda (37) – former Mayor’s Secretary
The four were initially arrested in 2021 by the East London Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit of the Hawks and released on R1,000 bail.
According to Hawks Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the convictions stem from a Christmas event in December 2019. Mxekezo allegedly authorized irregular expenditure without following procurement procedures. Matthysen approved payments to service providers without proper documentation, even while on leave. Mfunda sourced quotes from fictitious vendors for personal gain, and Mpahlwa, as Municipal Manager, sanctioned the payments.
Investigators found the officials colluded to divert municipal funds, causing losses exceeding R273,000, money originally intended for a Christmas program for elderly residents in the Peddie community.
The court sentenced all four to three years’ direct imprisonment or the option to pay a R120,000 fine each.
