Two professional nurses from Bambisana Hospital in Lusikisiki, Gladys Ntlawuzana-Komboyi (48) and Nwabisa Godlwana (36), along with two close relatives, Mantshangase Abigail Godlwana (59) and Gcobisa Godlwana (22), briefly appeared before the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on allegations of fraud and corruption.
They were all released on R3 000 bail each.
According to Hawks warrant officer, Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, their case was remanded to October 9, 2023.
He said that Ntlawuzana works as a professional nurse in the maternity ward of Bambisana Hospital in Lusikisiki.
“Nwabisa is also a professional nurse in the paediatric ward of the same hospital. Gcobisa and Mantshangase are civilians, and were identified as close relatives of Nwabisa.
It is alleged that Ntlawuzana intentionally fraudulently registered the birth of twins at Bambisana hospital, as requested by Nwabisa who was working in the paediatric ward in the same hospital, on November 18, 2022,” said Mhlakuvana.
He added that an application for birth certificates was made at the Flagstaff Department of Home Affairs by Gcobisa, pretending she was the mother of the twins on November 29, 2022.
Mhlakuvana said it is further revealed that Mantshangase, the biological mother of Gcobisa, intentionally applied for a Child Support Grant (CSG) from the South African Security Agency (SASSA) at Bizana on behalf of Gcobisa.
“The allegations came after the other patron went to Bizana Home Affairs to register a fraudulent birth certificate of a non-existing child, and the department picked up some discrepancies about this matter of the Godlwana family.
“The matter was then referred to the Hawks for further investigation. The investigation exposed that the pay-out was made by the CSG to the applicant, Mantshangase, and the total amount that was received by her was an amount of R4 892.00.”
Mhlakuvana added that the investigation divulged that those twins who were fraudulently registered by Home Affairs, receiving a CSG pay-out, did not exist at all.
He said that all four accused were ultimately arrested by the Bizana-based Serious Corruption Investigation team of the Hawks on September 11, 2023.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Eastern Cape, Major General Obed Ngwenya, has welcomed the arrest by the team, and further reiterated that no one is above the law and DPCI will continue to root out any criminal elements in society.
ISSUED BY HAWKS
