SIU freezes Pretoria home linked to late Presley Chweneyagae in NLC corruption case

Late actor Presley Chweneyagae

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained a court order to preserve a Pretoria property linked to the late actor Presley Chweneyagae as part of an ongoing probe into alleged corruption involving the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).

The preservation order was granted on 18 December by Judge M Victor and affects a property connected to Chweneyagae’s estate, his widow Charlaine Christinah Chweneyagae, and several co-respondents named in the matter.

The order also cites Alfred Muzwakhe Sigudla, the Southern African Youth Movement NPO and Domestic Baboon (Pty) Ltd among those implicated.

Under the order, the property may not be sold, transferred, leased or otherwise disposed of while the SIU finalises its civil case.

The investigative body has been given 60 court days to institute formal civil proceedings.

According to investigators, the house was allegedly purchased using close to R889,000 that was unlawfully diverted from a R15 million NLC grant.

The funding was originally intended to support youth arts development programmes.

The SIU claims the grant was approved for the Southern African Youth Movement and routed through Domestic Baboon, a company wholly owned by Chweneyagae, before being used to acquire the private residence instead of serving its stated purpose.

The unit has indicated that should evidence of criminal conduct emerge during the investigation, the matter may be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for possible prosecution.

The investigation forms part of a broader probe into alleged corruption at the National Lotteries Commission.

The SIU was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation R32 of 2020 to investigate maladministration and recover public funds lost through unlawful activities linked to the NLC.