MAKHUBU’S EXPENSIVE WALK TO FREEDOM

MBABANE – It is going to be an expensive walk to freedom for Simeon Makhubu. The former Mhlatane High School Head teacher was released from prison yesterday at 3:40pm and left in the company of his wife, among other relatives.

However, he has to part with a whopping E474 000 in order to remain outside prison.
This is the fine that has been imposed by Judge Mbutfo Mamba after sentencing him to 19 years and nine months imprisonment for contravening 79 counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act and committing one offence of theft.

The theft is in relation to the charge in which Makhubu (58) was found guilty of diverting a sum of E3 750 from the school coffers to pay for concrete blocks, which were delivered at his homestead in Nkhaba.
Before Makhubu could be released yesterday, Judge Mamba ordered that he should first repay the sum of E3 750 to government or to Mhlatane High School and he did.

To maintain his status as a free man, Makhubu is to pay the entire fine in six months, failing which he would be thrown back to prison.
For each of the 79 counts in respect of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Judge Mamba sentenced the former head teacher to three months imprisonment with an option of a fine of E6 000.
The judge ordered that he should serve each of these sentences independently.

The court also sentenced Makhubu to 37 days in prison without an option of a fine for stealing E3 750 from the school.
However, this sentence was backdated to January 31 which is the day on which he was convicted. Yesterday was the 37th day he spent in custody since his conviction, meaning that he will not have to go to jail to serve this sentence.

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