Former Eskom Worker Cinderella Muropane Gets 10 Years for R1.8m Fraud in Mpumalanga
- The Nelspruit Regional Court convicted former Eskom administrative worker Cinderella Thabisile Muropane on 94 counts of fraud
- Muropane manipulated internal payment systems at Eskom's Nelspruit facility to process unauthorised disbursements between 2012 and 2013
- The Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Middelburg led the prosecution that exposed the R1.8 million scheme
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MPUMALANGA — The Nelspruit Regional Court has sentenced a former Eskom administrative worker to ten years in prison after finding her guilty on 94 counts of fraud linked to R1.8 million in payments for work that was never performed.
Journalist Yusuf Abramjee posted a statement about the sentencing on his X account. Cinderella Thabisile Muropane was convicted following an investigation by the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, based in Middelburg, which uncovered how internal payment authorisation systems at Eskom's Nelspruit facility had been manipulated to release funds to a service provider that had already ceased operations.
How the fraud unfolded at Eskom Nelspruit
Court records show that between April 2012 and March 2013, Mandla Lines CC stopped performing its contracted duties at the facility on 2 May 2012. Secondary vendors took over maintenance responsibilities and received the corresponding remuneration. Despite this, fraudulent invoices continued to be generated within the local office structure, directing R1.8 million into Mandla Lines CC's commercial bank accounts for work that was never rendered.
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The sentencing was structured across three count groups. Counts 1 to 16 attracted a 10-year direct imprisonment term, while counts 17 to 55 and counts 56 to 94 each carried seven-year direct imprisonment terms, all running concurrently. The effective custodial sentence amounts to ten years.
Hawks vow to continue targeting state entity fraud
Provincial Hawks Head Major General Nico Gerber confirmed that specialised policing divisions and the National Prosecuting Authority would maintain their focus on supply-chain fraud within state entities, aiming to recover public funds unlawfully diverted.
The conviction is a significant step toward holding individuals in state-owned enterprises accountable for corruption that erodes public resources.
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Former soccer coach sentenced for sexual abuse
In a related article, Briefly News reported on a former Mpumalanga soccer coach sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual offences against three boys.
The abuse came to light after two boys failed to return home one evening, prompting their parents to go to the coach’s house. The court heard how the coach used his position of trust to groom the children before assaulting them
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Source: Briefly News
