By Celani Sikhakhane
A former Road Accident Fund (RAF) official has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for demanding a R500,000 bribe to speed up a R2.7-million claim.
Nobuhle Magwaza, 45, a legal officer at the RAF, asked a claimant to pay R50,000 upfront in cash and the remaining R450,000 into her bank account once the claim was finalised.
This corruption occurred in 2019 and was reported to the Hawks, leading to an undercover operation by the Durban Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.
Magwaza was arrested in 2020 and released on bail.
On 14 October 2024, the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court found her guilty and sentenced her to 12 years in jail.
Two years of her sentence were suspended for five years.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said Magwaza would serve 10 years of direct imprisonment.
The Hawks’ KwaZulu-Natal provincial head, Major-General Lesetja Senona, welcomed the sentence and applauded the unit’s members for their good work.
Pictured above: Road Accident Fund official Nobuhle Magwaza, 45, was sentenced to 10 years for demanding a R500,000 bribe.
Source: Road Accident Fund
