Key Points
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The Hawks convicted Warrant Officer Njekanye and Xolani Somtsewu for attempting to defraud the RAF of R5 million.
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The fraud involved altering an accident report to support a false compensation claim.
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The Hawks’ investigation uncovered the scheme, leading to their arrest and conviction.
The Hawks have convicted a senior police officer and his accomplice for attempting to defraud the Road Accident Fund (RAF) of nearly R5 million.
Warrant Officer Mandlenkosi Njekanye, 50, a police officer stationed at Komga, and his accomplice Xolani Somtsewu, 45, were found guilty of fraud and defeating the ends of justice.
Their conviction follows a thorough investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks.
The fraudulent scheme begins
The fraud started on December 31, 2020, when Somtsewu crashed his Nissan NP300 on the N2 Highway near Komga.
He was driving with a passenger who tragically died at the scene. The police initially reported that the accident occurred due to a tyre burst, and they opened an inquest docket.
However, a year after the crash, Somtsewu and Njekanye returned to Komga police station. They pressured an officer to alter the original accident report to suggest that Somtsewu swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle.
This new version of the accident would allow Somtsewu to file a compensation claim with the RAF.
RAF uncovers the fraud
When Somtsewu submitted his claim to the RAF, the agency immediately noticed discrepancies between the two versions of the accident report.
After further investigation, the RAF rejected the claim and referred the case to the Hawks.
The Hawks uncovered the conspiracy between Njekanye and Somtsewu to manipulate the report and defraud the RAF of an estimated R5 million. They arrested both men on November 22, 2023, after gathering sufficient evidence.
Court proceedings and the future of the case
The court convicted Njekanye and Somtsewu on March 24, 2025, following their arrest. The court granted them bail of R500 each before their conviction.
The case has now been postponed to May 14, 2025, for sentencing. The men’s actions have raised concerns about the vulnerability of the RAF system to fraudulent claims.
