Kudakwashe Mpofu, 33, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the North West Development Corporation, was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (Hawks) on January 28, 2025, for allegedly using a fraudulent South African permanent residence permit to apply for a job.
Mpofu appeared in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court on fraud charges. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), he applied for the Asset Manager position at the North West Development Corporation in March 2021. As part of his application, Mpofu submitted a South African permanent residence permit, which is now claimed to be fraudulent.
Investigations revealed that Mpofu was appointed to the position in May 2021 and later promoted to CFO in June 2023. The NPA alleges that the South African Department of Home Affairs never issued the permanent residence permit that Mpofu submitted.
The court heard that Mpofu is a flight risk, as he is illegally in the country, and may attempt to evade trial if granted bail. An affidavit from a Department of Home Affairs official confirmed the fraudulent nature of the permit.
Mpofu will remain in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Mmabatho on March 19, 2025.
