Former deputy head of crime-fighting group convicted for bribes totalling R28,000.
The former deputy head of the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Simon Mzayifani Madonsela, was convicted of corruption in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court and sentenced to eight years’ jail time on 2 December.
Madonsela is the latest in a string of current and former members of the country’s elite crime-fighting directorate found guilty of wrongdoing. He was convicted of two counts of corruption amounting to R28,000 he received as bribes.
Spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN, Natasha Kara, said Madonsela’s unit was investigating the disappearance of a woman and subsequently closed the docket.
In a statement issued on 3 December Natasha explained that “Madonsela went to the family of the missing woman and told them that his superiors wanted to close the docket and that he needed R40,000 from them to ensure that the docket remained open.
He also told them that the matter was receiving his ongoing attention, although the docket was already closed. The family could not pay the requested amount but gave him R25,000. He later requested a further R3,000, which the family paid as well.”
Madonsela’s appeal will be heard on 4 December.
