The Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has issued a warrant of arrest for prominent businessman Howard Mashaba after he failed to appear for his scheduled trial.
Mashaba, facing a litany of charges including fraud, theft, and money laundering, reportedly left South Africa for China on a business trip without the necessary judicial authorisation.
The charges against Mashaba involve alleged fraudulent deeds of sale perpetrated against the National Government and the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure.
Fraudulent transactions were allegedly concluded for properties in Giyani, with payments made directly into a personal bank account.
“It is alleged that fraudulent deeds of sale were concluded between the late Fourie Willem Jakobus, Howard Alex Mashaba, and/or Magezi Ben Mashaba (Mashaba Senior), through a company known as Mbangwa Trading and Projects.
“The purported transactions involved properties situated on Erf 2B, Erf 58B, Erf 64B, and Erf 227B, for amounts ranging between R290,000 and R450,000. Payments were allegedly made directly into Jakobus’s personal bank account,” said Regional National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mashudu Malabi.
Despite these purported sales, the properties remained state-owned, and a hotel was subsequently erected on one of the sites after a government building was demolished.
The NPA confirmed that Mashaba was due in court alongside three co-accused, but his unauthorised international travel led to the immediate authorisation of a warrant for his arrest.
Malabi stated that the warrant was issued for “immediate execution” following his failure to appear.
This development follows a period of intense scrutiny for both Mashaba and the NPA.
According to recent reports, Mashaba himself levelled serious corruption allegations against a senior prosecutor, Richard Chabalala, claiming the official solicited a R400,000 bribe to make the fraud case “disappear”.
While Chabalala has denied these claims, the NPA’s Office for Ethics and Accountability is currently investigating the matter.
Advocate Ivy Thenga, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, previously emphasised the authority’s commitment to accountability in this case, noting that “crime does not pay”.
She highlighted that the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) had already secured forfeiture orders against properties linked to the investigation, valued at over R22 million.
The trial has now been postponed to June 29, 2026, as law enforcement agencies move to track down the absconded accused.
karen.singh@inl.co.za
