Rhodes University finance administrator convicted of fraud

A former Rhodes University finance administrator has been found guilty of defrauding the university out of almost half-a-million rand.

Wendy Zimasa Xabiya, 32, was convicted in the Gqeberha commercial crimes court on Thursday on numerous counts of forgery, money laundering and the contravention of the Prevention of the Organised Crime Act.

The court found that Xabiya had processed fraudulent travel and subsistence claims to the value of more than R480,000. 

She committed the offences between January 1 2017 and December 1 2018, during her tenure at the university.

The money was unlawfully deposited into the accounts of fraudulent beneficiaries and used for Xabiya’s personal enrichment.

The university reported the matter to the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team upon discovering the abnormality.

Xabiya was arrested on December 3 2021.

She will appear in court again on June 20 for sentencing. 

HeraldLIVE