Judgement awaits Sokopo and co in May

Update

GEORGE NEWS - The fraud trial of former ANC secretary of the Southern Cape Mzwanele Major Sokopo, and Ndileka Mfunda from Port Elizabeth has been postponed to 23 May 2023 for judgement.

Closing arguments were finalised on 28 November in the George Regional Court.

Sokopo (45) and Mfunda (52) pleaded not guilty on 49 charges (main and alternative counts) pertaining to fraud and failure to register for Value Added Tax (Vat). Their former company, Major General Trading CC, forms part of the list of accused in its capacity as a legal business.

The R16-million fraud case against Sokopo and his co-accused Mfunda was struck off the court roll by Magistrate Pragalathan Govender on 18 December 2017.

At the time Govender said this was due to negligence on the part of the state as the state did not have its witnesses present at the trial.

The trial eventually kicked off in full force in the George Regional Court in June 2021. At the time Sokopo said he was looking forward to the matter being resolved and missed his activism in the ANC.