A couple is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court for allegedly pocketing over R170,000 from a non-profit organisation.
The suspects, aged 41 and 48, were arrested on Tuesday by members of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks).
The Western Cape spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, said the suspects were arrested on charges of fraud after warrants of arrest were executed.
“The Crimes Against the State (CATS) and National Priority Violent Crime (NPVC) teams of the Hawks, in conjunction with Lentegeur Visible Policing members, arrested the suspects on charges of fraud,” Vukubi said.
The couple is alleged to have received the funds to conduct Islamic studies with underprivileged youth.
“It is reported that during 2018 and 2020 the South African Zakah Fund received an application from the two suspects for financial assistance to conduct Islamic studies and Qur’aan memorisation for underprivileged youth,” Vukubi said.
The South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) is a faith-based, non-profit organisation established in 1974.
It is the largest Zakah institution in South Africa, focusing on poverty alleviation, education, disaster relief, and community empowerment through rigorous Shari’ah-compliant Zakah distribution
“Both suspects were registered as directors of the South African Zakah Fund and subsequently received an amount of R171,350 in support of the underprivileged youth. The suspects allegedly used the funds for their travelling expenses instead,” Vukubi said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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