Two nurses face fraud and corruption charges for allegedly faking the birth of twins at a provincial hospital to enable a relative to pocket the child support grant.
Gladys Ntlawuzana-Komboyi, Nwabisa Precious Godlwana, Mantshangase Abigail Godlwana and Gcobisa Godlwana appeared in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Tuesday, TimesLIVE reports.
Ntlawuzana-Komboyi is a maternity ward nurse and Nwabisa Godlwana a paediatric ward nurse at Bambisana Hospital in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape.
Gcobisa Godlwana and Mantshangase Godlwana are close relatives of Nwabisa Godlwana.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said Ntlawuzana-Komboyi allegedly fraudulently registered the birth of twins at the hospital on 18 November 2022, as requested by Nwabisa Godlwana.
Gcobisa Godlwana allegedly applied for birth certificates at the Flagstaff Department of Home Affairs on 29 November 2022 under the pretence of being the twins’ mother.
Her mother, Mantshangase Godlwana, applied on her behalf for a child support grant from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) branch in Bizana.
An investigation by the Hawks revealed R4 892 in child support grants had been paid to Mantshangase Godlwana.
The four were released on bail of R3 000 each and the case was postponed to 9 October.