KEY POINTS
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Ncobo and wife allegedly misused school donation funds for personal gain.
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Investigators say forged documents helped secure PetroSA school grant.
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The couple faces money laundering charges involving unregistered entities.
The General Manager of the Premier Soccer League and his wife appeared in court on fraud and money laundering accusations this week.
Ncobo faces fraud charges linked to school donation funds
Charges were brought against former international referee Andile “Ace” Ncobo and his 47-year-old wife, Salome, in connection with an R15 million school contribution.
According to the prosecution, the pair fraudulently obtained PetroSA funds for their own advantage, the benefit of their relatives, or the benefit of organizations with a vested personal interest.
Donations to schools, health initiatives, and community or disaster-related organizations were made possible by PetroSA’s Corporate Social Investment program.
The Eastern Cape’s Gangatha Junior Secondary School asked for funding in 2008 to construct classrooms, labs, and other necessary facilities.
Through a trust that turned out to be unregistered, PetroSA promised to donate R13 million to refurbish the school.
Ncobo oversaw the project from November 2008 to September 2009, even though the school did not formally authorize him to do so.
According to authorities, Ncobo was never designated by the school to serve as a representative or manager of the construction project for the developments.
The Hawks claim that Ncobo and his spouse used fake documents and unregistered businesses to falsely depict the needs of Gangatha School.
PetroSA paid R13 million, according to Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, on the basis of false proposals, phony donor records, and fake trust deeds.
She went on to say that it was alleged that fake signatures on the trust documents were used to open accounts that were funded by public cash.
According to NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila, the funds were transferred to a number of accounts, including those connected to businesses under Ncobo’s control.
Ncobo defends innocence in school building scheme
According to Iol, CIPC records, a few recipient entities were not registered, such as Gangatha Projects and Eseswe Projects.
In a public Facebook statement, Ncobo defended his actions, calling the case “malicious and politically motivated.”
He claimed that over the years, their projects had significantly benefited the community, were carried out effectively, and were held to high standards.
Ncobo denied any financial impropriety or illegal involvement in the projects, saying the school is still a proud gift to the community.
He encouraged the media to give the legal system time to properly handle the case in court and expressed faith in it.
In order to give authorities more time to conduct their investigation and legal actions, the court postponed the case until May 29, 2025.
