Four former employees of the Thuso Fund Burial Society in the Eastern Cape were convicted of fraud after stealing R800,000 from their employer.The Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced the four individuals—Nandipha Mfoboza, Busisiwe Nondudule, Faniswa Nobambela, and Nommiselo Solani—to pay fines or face imprisonment.The fraud was uncovered through a forensic audit by the Hawks, which revealed fraudulent bank deposit slips submitted by the employees.

The investigation found that the deposit slips represented transactions that were never credited to the company's account, resulting in a financial loss of R800,000.The accused were arrested in February 2026 and released on bail.The court ordered them to pay R5,000 each towards compensation, with monthly instalments of R1,500 starting by July 31, 2026.The case highlights the importance of financial oversight in organisations and the consequences of internal fraud.

The provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, confirmed the investigation originated from a complaint by the burial society's headquarters in Orkney, North West Province.This incident underscores the risks of embezzlement in financial institutions and the role of law enforcement in prosecuting such crimes.