South African lawmaker and chief whip of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi, has been arrested over allegations of fraud linked to the alleged manipulation of party staff salaries.
She is expected to appear before the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday, May 29, 2026, as the case proceeds.
South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, said the 46-year-old MP is accused of orchestrating a scheme in which employees recruited into the MK Party were allegedly compelled to surrender portions of their salaries under false pretenses, according to local media reports. 
Investigators allege that between August and December 2024, Mokoena-Zondi recruited four individuals to work as researchers for the MK Party and later required them to remit a percentage of their monthly earnings. Authorities further claimed the deductions were presented as contributions toward legal expenses related to MK Party leader and former South African president Jacob Zuma.
In a statement, the Hawks said the accused allegedly misled the employees into believing the salary deductions were legitimate contributions meant to support the party president’s legal battles.
The anti-corruption agency also stated that the alleged victims collectively lost about R233,317.99 during the period under investigation.
Mokoena-Zondi is set to make her first court appearance in Cape Town on Friday as the fraud case continues.
