A Cape Town couple is set to appear in court on Wednesday after allegedly defrauding a non-profit organisation of more than R170,000.
The suspects, aged 41 and 48, were arrested on Tuesday by members of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks) and are alleged to have defrauded a Zakah fund.
The Western Cape spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, said the suspects were arrested on charges of fraud after warrants of arrest were executed.
“The Crimes Against the State (CATS) and National Priority Violent Crime (NPVC) teams of the Hawks, in conjunction with Lentegeur Visible Policing members, arrested the suspects on charges of fraud,” Vukubi said.
The couple is alleged to have received the funds to conduct Islamic studies with underprivileged youth.
“It is reported that during 2018 and 2020, the South African Zakah Fund received an application from the two suspects for financial assistance to conduct Islamic studies and Qur’an memorisation for underprivileged youth,” Vukubi said.
Zakah is a religious obligation in Islam requiring Muslims to donate a portion of their wealth annually to help economically disadvantaged individuals and support the community’s welfare.
The suspects allegedly pocketed the money and used it for personal travel.
“Both suspects were registered as directors of the South African Zakah Fund and subsequently received an amount of R171,350 in support of the underprivileged youth. The suspects allegedly used the funds for their travelling expenses instead,” Vukubi said.
In a public statement, the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) confirmed the suspects are not part of its organisation, and any suggestion that they held any position within the organisation was incorrect.
“SANZAF further assures the public that all institutions and organisations considered for assistance undergo stringent vetting. In this matter, the application received went through the relevant internal assessment processes and supporting records are maintained,” it said.
The organisation further said it would continue to serve the community with transparency, accountability, and care in the responsible administration of Zakah, Sadaqah, and other entrusted funds.
