Mokoena-Zondi granted R30 000 bail after allegedly extorting R233 317 from MK parliamentary staff for party legal costs.
The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has granted R30 000 bail to the MK party’s chief whip, Mmabatho Nthabiseng Mokoena-Zondi, for fraud and extortion charges.
She appeared in court on Thursday after she handed herself over to authorities in the morning.
Mokoena-Zondi gets R30k bail
According to Zinzi Hani, a spokesperson for the police in the Western Cape, Mokoena-Zondi demanded a portion of the salaries of the party’s parliamentary staff each month for them to remain in their positions.
“It is alleged that during August 2024 to December 2024, the suspect headhunted and recruited four individuals into the party as researchers, and during their employment, she demanded payments under the pretext that it was for the legal cost of the president of the same party.
“They were forced to pay 50 to 60% of their salaries. In total, the suspect defrauded the members of approximately R233 317.99,” said Hani.
According to media reports, the chief whip said in her affidavit that the money collected from staff was a “voluntary contribution” meant to be a “gesture of appreciation” for the upkeep of the party’s Nkandla headquarters.
Mokoena-Zondi was granted R30 000 bail, and the court postponed the case to 18 June.
Ex-treasurer general reported the matter
The MK party confirmed that the matter was initially reported by the former treasurer general, Menzi Magubane.
“The MK party reaffirms the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence, that no person is guilty until proven so by a court of law,” the party’s national spokesperson, Sifiso Mahlangu, said.
The party added that it feels that it is essential that all parliamentary, legal and internal organisational processes take place in a fair and transparent manner because the complainants are employees working inside MK’s support structures.
“The MK party is currently engaging internally and assessing the full circumstances surrounding the allegations and subsequent charges,” Mahlangu said.
“We will provide a statement following the officials’ meeting with the president.”
Mokoena-Zondi replaced Colleen Makhubele as the MK party’s chief whip in February.
