The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) obtained a court order from the Durban High Court to seize assets worth approximately R5.9 million belonging to two KwaZulu-Natal businessmen: Mlungisi Sibusiso Nkosinathi Ndaba and Nicholas Kemeta Mncube.
Details of the Seizure
The seized assets included:
- A house (property)
- Luxury cars
These were targeted under South Africa’s Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) as suspected proceeds of crime, specifically linked to allegations of tax fraud (or related financial offences). The operation involved collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Hawks.
At the time, the AFU described it as a restraint or preservation order, freezing the assets pending further investigation or forfeiture proceedings. Such actions aim to prevent suspects from dissipating ill-gotten gains while criminal cases proceed.
Context in South Africa
The AFU, part of the NPA, regularly conducts these operations to recover assets linked to corruption, fraud, money laundering, and other serious crimes. Similar cases in KZN and elsewhere have involved everything from tender irregularities to tax evasion. Outcomes can vary: assets may ultimately be forfeited to the state if proven to be proceeds of crime, or returned if the case doesn’t hold up.
This specific incident received coverage in outlets like Cape Argus, The Star, and The Mercury around 18–19 December 2020, but it doesn’t appear to have generated major follow-up headlines in later years (suggesting it may have been resolved quietly through plea deals, ongoing trials, or asset recovery).
