By Staff Reporter
TZANEEN – Three employees of Hillary Construction Company, one of South Africa’s leading construction firms, have been arrested for allegedly defrauding the company of more than R12 million.
The suspects, two men and one woman, were detained by the Limpopo Provincial Commercial Crime Unit following a thorough investigation.
The accused, aged between 37 and 48, are believed to have orchestrated a fraudulent scheme by generating false invoices to procure construction equipment for their personal benefit.
The alleged incident occurred in July 2023, when the trio is accused of diverting a substantial R12.5 million (twelve million five hundred thousand rand) from the company’s coffers.
The fraud was uncovered after Hillary Construction Company reported the suspicious activity to the Westenburg Police Station, prompting a swift investigation into the matter.
The first suspect, Given Victor Mathebula, aged 31, was apprehended in Tzaneen. The second suspect, 48-year-old Simnikiwe Ndinisa, was arrested in Seshego, while the third suspect, Demala Ndou, aged 41, voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.
All three suspects appeared in the Polokwane Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 3 March 2025, where they were granted bail of R50,000 each.
The case has been postponed to 9 April 2025 to allow for further investigations by the police.
Limpopo’s Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, commended the efforts of the investigative team, reinforcing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
“Those who dare challenge the authority of the state will be dealt with accordingly,” Hadebe stated.
This arrest sends a strong message that criminal activities, especially those involving large-scale fraud, will not be tolerated, and law enforcement will continue to work diligently to bring perpetrators to justice.
