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Supreme Court Confirms 20-Year Jail Term for Ex-ANC MP Who Stole R6 Million from Farmer Fund

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3 weeks ago

August 11, 2025

Chiraag

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The Supreme Court of Appeal has closed the legal chapter on one of South Africa’s most brazen political fraud cases, rejecting former ANC MP Manyaba Rubben Mohlaloga’s last bid to escape his 20-year prison sentence. The ruling cements his fate for a scheme that stripped R6 million from an agricultural fund designed to empower the very people he claimed to serve.

A Fund for Farmers, Not Politicians

The AgriB-BBEE Fund was established in the mid-2000s to give financial lifelines to emerging Black farmers who faced systemic barriers in commercial agriculture. It was never meant for politicians, a rule clearly written into the fund’s operational manual.

Yet between 2007 and 2008, Mohlaloga, then chair of Parliament’s agriculture portfolio committee, conspired with associates to bypass those rules. The original idea they pitched, a youth empowerment programme, was abandoned the moment they learned a R3 million grant was possible. Instead, they set their sights on personal gain, eventually funnelling R6 million from the fund into private accounts, luxury cars, property, and even a timeshare.

The Paper Trail That Wasn’t

The court found that no proper application, business plan, or due diligence ever took place. Instead, falsified documents were created after the fact to mislead auditors. It was only during an audit that the theft was uncovered.

Within three months of the payment, only R22 000 of the R6 million remained. Mohlaloga’s personal rewards included two BMWs, expensive art, a stationery business, and a family trust deposit that purchased Schuinshoek farm, an asset the court described as a smokescreen.

A Betrayal of Public Trust

In her judgment, Justice Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane called the scheme “pure greed,” stressing there was no evidence the conspirators needed the money to survive. Instead, they exploited a noble programme funded by taxpayers to uplift disadvantaged farmers.

No Mercy from the Bench

Mohlaloga’s argument that his sentence was “shockingly disproportionate” failed to sway the court. For fraud exceeding R500 000, the minimum prescribed sentence is 15 years, and the judge found the aggravating factors justified 20. His position as an MP, his lack of remorse, and his refusal to repay the stolen funds all counted heavily against him.

The court underlined the broader cost of corruption, warning that unchecked white-collar crime in state entities leads to economic decline, job losses, and public disengagement from government institutions.

By the end of April 2008, every cent was gone, and except for the farm purchase, nothing had been returned. “An effective sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment is not shockingly inappropriate,” Justice Kathree-Setiloane concluded.

Mohlaloga will now serve his sentence in full, a cautionary tale in a country still grappling with the economic and moral toll of political corruption.