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I WAS WORRIED WHEN MONIES ACCUMULATED, SAYS SECRETARY

06/07/2017 08:55:00 BY KWANELE DLAMINI

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MBABANE – “I was afraid to warn Makhubu.”

Mhlatane High School Secretary Queeneth Lukhele yesterday told the court that if Simeon Makhubu, the former head teacher of the school, was an average person she would have been able to approach him and advise him to stop giving more money to Temkhitsi Sijabulile Dlamini.
Temkhitsi, who is now deceased, allegedly received about E1.6 million from Makhubu on behalf of a bogus Inkhosikati.
Makhubu was made to believe that the Inkhosikati was in financial trouble and the former head teacher was called upon to advance her money while Labadzala allegedly facilitated his appointment as the country’s ambassador to Kuwait.
Lukhele was giving evidence yesterday and she told the court that there had been talk making the rounds that Temkhitsi, who was allegedly sent by the Inkhosikati to collect the money from Makhubu on her behalf, was not from the royal family and was a con artist.

The secretary said despite that it was said that the money was loaned to an Inkhosikati, she became suspicious when it accumulated to a substantial amount.
“When the monies accumulated to a large figure, I was worried if they would be able to pay it back. Had Makhubu been an average person I could have suggested that he should stop giving out any more money and wait to see if they are able to pay back that which they had been given already. I was suspicious even though he said the money was borrowed by the royal family,” said Lukhele.
She mentioned that Makhubu continued to give money to Temkhitsi despite that he had been warned that she was not from royalty.

Lukhele also told the court the money that was given to the alleged Inkhosikati belonged to parents by virtue of the fact that they paid school fees on behalf of their children.
Principal Auditor Timothy Matsebula, who compiled an audit report for the school in 2012, said it was disturbing to discover that the school had withdrawn huge sums of money from its bank accounts for undisclosed purposes, which were not for educational needs.

According to the report, the school experienced financial difficulties in 2012. Makhubu and the then chairman of the school committee, Mbuli, allegedly continued to withdraw cash from the school funds regardless.
Within a period of five months, they are alleged to have cashed a sum of E1 461 150.