JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 06: Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head Advocate Andy Mothibi during an interview on September 06, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mothibi says the majority of the cases his unit has referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for attention between 2013 and April have been left to gather dust. (Photo by Gallo Images / City Press / Tebogo Letsie)
New National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Andy Mothibi has condemned threats made against the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and a senior official in the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU).
The threats follow a video widely circulated on social media platforms showing a man attempting to enter the NPA offices and intimidate officials over frozen funds linked to the Growsave Stokvel.
Video
The AFU said the funds in question, over R4 million, are proceeds of unlawful activities, including an illegal multiplication scheme run by Women Against Poverty and Hunger (WAPH).
“In the video recorded outside the NPA building, he uttered threats designed to intimidate the AFU senior financial investigator for doing his work. He further threatened to bring a mob to block access to the NPA head office for 14 days, or until money is released to the women of South Africa,” head of communications for NPA, Bulelwa Makeke said.
“The NDPP strongly condemns this behaviour and views the tactic as not only unlawful, as it is an attempt to interfere in the work of the NPA, but also as an attack on the rule of law.”
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Background
Makeke said the background to the matter is that two preservation orders totalling R4 193 968.77 were granted by the Pretoria High Court to the AFU in 2024, related to the Growsave Stokvel.
The Preservation Orders were in respect of funds held in various bank accounts in the name of WAPH and others.
The first order was granted on 30 September 2024 for R4 million (R4 057 259), and the second was granted on 16 October 2024 for R136 000.
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Forfeiture order
Subsequently, the Pretoria AFU was granted a Forfeiture Order of R136 709.77, including interest accrued by the Pretoria High Court on 19 June 2025.
On 26 November 2025, the court delivered a judgment setting aside the initial preservation order of R4 057 259 and directing the release of the frozen accounts.
Makeke said the NDPP disputes both the correctness and the legality of that judgment and has filed an application for leave to appeal.
“At this stage, the matter is far from concluded, as there are two interlocutory applications pending, namely the application for leave to appeal and an application to determine whether the order directing the release of the frozen accounts should be suspended, pending an appeal.”
Scam
Makeke said the AFU received information from the National Consumer Commission (NCC) that WAPH (and/or members associated with it) invited members of the public, via various online media platforms, including Facebook, to invest a once-off amount of R300 and receive monthly groceries for 12 months.
The R300 payment entitled members to 10kg bags of flour, mealie meal, and rice, as well as 2 litres of cooking oil and 2kg of sugar. Members would receive these items once a month for 12 months, provided the R300 payment was made.
A price comparison across different retailers revealed that the total value of these items is R441.87 per month, meaning WAPH promised groceries worth R5 302.44 for a once-off payment of R300.
Recruitment
In addition, members were encouraged to recruit new members and could earn cash rewards; for example, recruiting 10 members could yield R1 000.
“The NCC calculated that the effective interest rate offered was 1.667.47%, exceeding the repo rate by more than 20%.”
“Furthermore, WAPH is not a licensed financial services provider, in contravention of section 7 of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002 (FAIS Act); and is not licensed to receive deposits from the public, thereby violating the Banks Act,” Makeke said.
The primary objective of these legislative provisions is to protect the public from unscrupulous operators and to prevent them from losing their hard-earned money.
‘Unlawful activities
The AFU contends that the funds in the preserved bank accounts constitute proceeds of unlawful activities.
“It is important for the public to understand that the AFU does not preserve assets randomly. Assets are preserved only when believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities or instrumentalities of offences listed in Schedule 1 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA). The AFU submits that WAPH contravened multiple pieces of legislation, thereby placing the public’s money at risk,” Makeke said.
Protecting victims
Makeke said that while asset recovery processes are an important part of the government’s strategy to effectively address corruption, they also help protect unwitting victims of unlawful money-making or investment schemes.
“WAHP and its organisers have not litigated their opposition to AFU asset recovery proceedings in a professional and fair manner, prompting the AFU to complain to the AJP of Gauteng Pretoria Division.
“Lately, they have now resorted to threatening both the AFU and police officials involved in the matter. The intimidation and threats are serious and call for urgent action, and a criminal case has been registered with the police,” Makeke said.
The NDPP has urged anyone with legal issues to raise them appropriately by following available legal avenues.
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