Malawian Couple Arrested for COVID-19 TERS Fraud Scheme Granted R600,000 Bail
MIDDELBURG, MPUMALANGA– The Mpumalanga Magistrates Court granted a Malawian couple and their associate over R600,000 bail after they were arrested on 17 May 2026 in connection with a multimillion COVID-19 fraud scheme.
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According to IOL, Fumu Mkalira and his wife Gladenss Mkhonto were given R300,000 bail after they were charged with a fraud scheme worth R26.9 million Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme. More than 700 ghost employees. A company, A and F Consulting, unlawfully benefitted from the scheme after it claimed funds for the ghost workers.
The company was linked to Msiska’s wife. Gladness’s brother-in-law, their co-accused, was allegedly the runner in the operation. The Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained court orders to freeze assets including vehicles, bank accounts and properties. The couple will return to court on 2 July 2026.
In 2024, two women were arrested for a similar case. Khahliso Motsemereli and her co-accused Marx Maria Karen were arrested after they were found to have reportedly submitted fraudulent Temporary Employment Relief Scheme claims to people who did not qualify. Motseremeli, who worked at Paballong Day Care Centre, was granted R1,000 bail. Marx, who made claims over R1 million, was granted R50,000 bail after submitting fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Fund claims worth over R1 million for her former employer, Pop Snax.
What did South Africans say?
Netizens called the couple out and criticised them for their alleged crimes.
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Chris Smith said:
“They took ‘in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer’ to a whole new criminal level.”
Dawn Crowe quoted the Bible.
“The love of money is the root of all evil.”
Source: Briefly News
