* Alleged to have used over 700 ghost workers to defraud R26 million as they are suspected to have preyed on unemployed people by promising them jobs
* Only to use their identity particulars to fraudulently apply for that country’s CoVID-19 employee relief funds
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawian man, identified as Fumu Mkalira Cifu Msiska — along with his South African wife, Gladness Mkhonto-Msiska and her brother Bongani Zoren Mkhonto — are reported to have handed themselves to the police after they were being investigated to have allegedly defrauded R26 million of that country’s CoVID-19 unemployment insurance funds (CIF).
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South Africa’s Sowetan.online-published-a-report, today, May 18, indicating that the three appeared in court today facing fraud charges linked to the Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) and UIF scheme.
It is reported that they were released on R3,000 bail and the matter was postponed to July 20, 2026 for further investigations being undertaken by Mpumalanga Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) — commonly known as the Hawks.
Our sources in South Africa indicate that Fumu Msiska is a prominent member of the Malawian society and was one of the members of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) South Africa Wing as convener or chairperson.
The Sowetan reports that the wife, Gladness Mkhonto-Msiska’s social media pages “contain pictures of herself with prominent personalities, including controversial Malawian pastor and businessman Shepherd Bushiri as well as several holiday snapshots”.
The picture used by the Sowetan of the wife Gladness with Shepherd Bushiri
“In one picture, her husband is at the table with a few people and Lazarus Chakwera, the President of Malawi from 2020 to 2025,” says the Sowetan.
Our sources indicate that Fumu has a twin brother seen with Chakwera when he visited South Africa when he was President.—Pictures courtesy of our sources in South Africa
According to the report, which quotes Mpumalanga Hawks’ Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, the three are suspected to have “allegedly preyed on unemployed people by promising them jobs, only to use their identity particulars to fraudulently apply for Covid-19 employee relief funds”.
Col. Nkosi is quoted as saying investigations revealed that the company, A&F Consulting, “allegedly unlawfully benefited from the scheme by claiming funds for more than 700 ghost employees and former workers” whose main suspect is a director of a construction company, who “allegedly unduly benefited from the CoVID-19 TERS administered through the UIF, resulting in an actual loss of R26.9 million to the UIF”.
“…the brother-in-law [Bongani Zoren Mkhonto] played a significant role in recruiting individuals under false promises of employment,” Nkosi is quoted as saying, adding that Bongani Mkhonto allegedly approached unsuspecting victims as a recruiter who then gave him their documents that would later be used to claim the funds.
“It is further alleged that the brother-in-law played a significant role in recruiting individuals under false promises of employment,” Col. Nkosi further told the Sowetan. “Some of the identification particulars used in the claims allegedly belonged to former employees of the company.”
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The trio are reported to have handed themselves over to the Hawks “serious corruption investigation unit in Mbombela on Sunday following a lengthy joint investigation involving the Hawks, the Special Investigating Unit, the UIF and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU).
Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in Mpumalanga, is quoted as saying investigations revealed that the funds were allegedly used to acquire movable and immovable assets valued at over R31 million, which reportedly include a fleet of vehicles and funds linked to the suspects’ bank accounts.
“Criminal investigations into the matter are ongoing,” Nkosi told the Sowetan, adding that investigations started in 2022 after authorities uncovered suspicious claims linked to the company during CoVID-19 relief fund payouts in 2020.
“During the investigation, the AFU froze bank accounts and seized several assets, including a Mercedes V-Class, Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu truck and a front-loader truck.
Properties seized include a seven-room house in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, where each room was allegedly being rented out for R4,500 a month, a house in White River, and a flat in Zwartkoppies, Pretoria,” says the report.
The wife from her Facebook page postings.—Picture posted by the Sowetan
The couple are reported to have lived a lavish lifestyle with Gladness flaunting it on social media accounts “featuring photographs of luxury vacations and high-end experiences”, and that in one post shared in July 2021 on Facebook, “about a year after the company allegedly received the UIF funds, she posted a picture of an extravagant meal with the caption: ‘The Lord will prepare your table in front of your enemies’”.
The Sowetan also quoted head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Maj-Gen Nico Gerber, saying: “Working together as various law enforcement agencies will assist in ensuring justice is served for those affected by the ghost employee scheme.”
Hawks is a branch of the South African Police Service which investigates organised crime, economic crime, corruption, and other serious crime referred to it by the President or another division of the police.
The brothers captured with Malawi High Commissioner to South Africa during a business function involving NBS Bank.—Picture courtesy of our sources in South Africa