Eastern Cape Mayor arrested for fraud

In a shocking turn of events, a Mayor from the Eastern Cape was arrested on Sunday afternoon on charges of fraud. The Mayor turned himself in to Matatiele authorities and was subsequently processed and released on warning.

A court appearance has been scheduled for Tuesday, although details about the fraud charges remain scarce. However, it is believed that the charges may be related to a case opened by DA councilor Wonga Poteana and National Parliament member Baxolule Nodada in June 2023.

According to reports, Mngenela allegedly used public funds amounting to R13,000 to pay for a trip to attend the ANC Conference. The story made headlines in the South African media, with the ANC province being called to account.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first instance of fraud allegations involving Eastern Cape officials. In a separate incident, three SASSA officials were arrested for suspected fraud at the Idutywa Local Office in the Eastern Cape.