In a decisive move against white-collar crime, members of the Pietermaritzburg Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit of the Hawks arrested a local couple and their company on Monday, 8 December 2025, for alleged fraud and contravention of the Tax Administration Act.
The accused, Mongezi Mngomezulu (51), Precious Mngomezulu (49), and their entity Mfiso Contractors CC, are alleged to have submitted falsified Value Added Tax (VAT) returns to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for the period spanning 2019 to 2021. According to the investigation, the returns fraudulently claimed input taxes that had not actually been paid.
The scheme was uncovered after SARS officials identified significant discrepancies in the company’s filings. The subsequent audit revealed that the fraudulent claims resulted in a total prejudice of R1,112,986.45 to the national revenue service. Following this discovery, the matter was escalated and formally reported to the Hawks for a criminal investigation.
After a thorough probe, the investigating team moved to apprehend the suspects. They were formally charged with fraud and contravention of the Tax Administration Act.
The accused made a brief initial appearance at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on the same day of their arrest. The court granted each accused bail of R10,000. The case has been remanded and is scheduled to resume on 3 February 2026 for further investigation and legal proceedings.
