Councillor’s fraud trial postponed
Image: TimesLIVE
The fraud case against a former undertaker who became a councillor was postponed yesterday to November because the prosecutor needs more time to gather crucial documents from a fingerprint expert.
DA councillor Mbulelo Manyati, who worked at Zincedeni Funeral Services at the time, is charged with fraud alongside his son, Mandisa Sibham, Dr Lucky Swartbooi, Sakhumzi Bhazi and Phumelela Radu.
However, Bhazi has since absconded. The four appeared in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court.
The state alleges that Bhazi took out a funeral policy known as the Future Builder Family Funeral Plan on June 12 2013, underwritten by Metropolitan Life Ltd.
The policy covered three individuals he claimed were his aunt, uncle and cousin.
The state alleges further that on January 28 2014 and acting in common purpose with Manyati, Radu, Swartbooi and Sibham, Bhazi submitted a death claim for Phindiwe Mzwelitye.
A false abridged death certificate accompanied the application stating that Mzwelitye had died on January 20 2014 – two years after his actual death.
