Zimbabwean Accountant’s Estate Sequestrated After Stealing Millions from South African Employer
A Zimbabwean accountant has had his estate finally sequestrated after defrauding his former employer, the Johannesburg-based non-profit Education and Training Unit (ETU), of millions of rand.
Edward Mwanandimai worked as ETU’s accountant from July 2014 until voluntarily leaving in May 2020. During his employment, he siphoned funds meant for the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and other creditors, often diverting payments into his own accounts or those of his company, Lopdale Services and Investments.
Court documents reveal the scheme began in January 2015, with a total of 384 fraudulent payments recorded by the time he left ETU in April 2020. ETU’s internal audit showed that millions never reached their intended recipients. Between January and July 2015 alone, Mwanandimai’s personal accounts received nearly R679,000, while his company received R14.65 million from 2015 to 2019, alongside smaller transfers totalling R396,100.
He went further, creating fake supplier accounts and even a fictitious employee in ETU’s Discovery Medical Aid Scheme, which led to fraudulent medical contributions exceeding R160,000. ETU also paid nearly R240,000 for his medical aid and covered his phone accounts, with no deductions from his salary. Mwanandimai manipulated payroll and bank records, exploiting his access to ETU’s banking system to authorise payments to himself.
His actions were uncovered after a new accountant audited ETU’s accounts, revealing that he had misappropriated over R17 million, with about R6.8 million confirmed as capital debt. Mwanandimai later acknowledged the debt, admitting to stealing several million rand and repaying only part of it.
Despite proposing repayment plans, including a 72-month schedule starting in January 2022, Mwanandimai failed to make any payments since June 2021. His lawyers cited financial strain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the July 2021 looting unrest, offering only R100,000 per month toward the outstanding debt of R1.777 million.
Last Thursday, Acting Judge Sanet van Aswegen ruled that Mwanandimai had not managed or disclosed his estate transparently. Supporting documentation was only provided at the hearing, despite prior submissions. The judge concluded:
“In my considered opinion, the interests of justice are best served by the court exercising its discretion to grant a final sequestration order. The issuance of such an order would benefit all the creditors by invoking the pertinent provisions of the Insolvency Act, thereby facilitating an investigation of the estate for their advantage.”
ETU also reported the matter to Yeoville police in September 2020. Mwanandimai’s legal representative did not respond to requests for comment, and ETU could not be reached for a statement.
Online reactions from Zimbabweans reflected anger and disappointment over the betrayal of trust, with many questioning how someone in such a position could steal millions without detection. Others debated the fairness of the repayment plan, given the scale of the fraud.
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