News24 | Robbing the dead: SA Heritage Resources Agency officials arrested for fraud

The Delville Wood Wood Memorial in Longueval, France.

• Three former SA Heritage Resources Agency officials were arrested and appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
• They face charges of fraud and violation of the Public Finance Management Act.
• The accused were released on R5 000 bail each. 

The Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team arrested three former SA Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) officials for fraud. 

The arrests of former CEO Veliswa Baduza, former chief financial officer (CFO) Catherine Motsisi, and former board chairperson Fanie Makhanya emanated from a 2017 investigation into fraud allegations against them. 

Their co-accused were Anix Consulting CEO Rhiyaan Cupido, his wife Weedad Cupido, and the company Anix Consulting.

They all appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on six charges of fraud and 21 charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act.

Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the charges related to funds allocated for flagship legacy projects administered by the Department of Arts and Culture between 2010 and 2011.

Ntabazalila said the project was earmarked for local and international sites. 

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In 2014, the SAHRA sought to rehabilitate the burial sites of political heroes Reverend Zacharia Mahabane, Dr James Moroka, Steve Biko, Robert Sobukwe, Josias Madzunye, Manche Masemola and Kgosi Mampuru, as well as to fix the bust of Oliver Tambo.

Ntabazalila said the project included the transformation of the landscape of the Delville Wood Memorial and Museum. He said the project was earmarked for completion within 12 months, from 23 March 2015 to April/May 2016. 

The agency was due to spend R20 million for the foreign graves project and R9.4 million for the domestic graves project. 

"On 23 March 2015, Anix Consulting CC was awarded the tender and a project team was appointed. Between June and July 2015, the project team and the chairperson undertook a study tour of Delville Wood," said Ntabazalila.

He added:

"The state alleges that between 19 June 2015 and 3 July 2015, the CEO and CFO instructed the agency's employees to amend and expand the scope of work to include the transformation of the landscape in Cuba and the UK."

Ntabazalila said the new scope included rehabilitating sites in Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe – in a process that was not transparent.

He said this unduly increased the budget to R54.2 million.

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The state alleged that Baduza, Motsisi and Makhanya sidelined stakeholders, including the agency's council committee members.

The court granted the accused R5 000 bail each and postponed the matter to 14 November for further investigation.

Ntabazalila said another co-accused would appear on the next court date.