Nakedi was first found guilty for various charges, including fraud, money laundering and corruption by the Bloemfontein Regional Court in 2014 for flouting procurement processes at the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, where he worked as a General Manager responsible for Mechanical Services. At the time, he was handed a ten-year sentence for corruption, with an additional eight years for fraud, a further eight years for money laundering and finally, seven years imprisonment for contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), which were suspended for three years. After he was sentenced in 2014, he then took up the matter with the Constitutional Court, where he appealed the verdict.

The matter relates to a tender contract awarded by the municipality to a company by the name of Sitech Systems (Pty) Ltd, which was contracted to install tracking devices at the municipality. A year later a tender was issued to formalise the service and three companies were shortlisted but Sitech Systems was not among those shortlisted for the tender as they were Gauteng-based and the municipality wanted local companies. Nakedi, however, ensured that they get the contract regardless and for his efforts in this deal, he was awarded with at least R230 000 between April and October 2004.

Meanwhile, the Hawks’ spokesperson, Hangwani Mulaudzi, explains that Nakedi was charged and tried separately, convicted in 2013 and later sentenced in 2014, but he appealed the sentence at the Bloemfontein High Court.

“The contravention of the POCA Act and money laundering charges were set aside whilst fraud and corruption charges were upheld. Nakedi approached the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) and was not successful. His last hope, the Constitutional Court, also ruled that his application had no reasonable prospects of success. He must serve 10 and 8 years imprisonment sentences for corruption and fraud which will run concurrently as confirmed and ordered by the Bloemfontein High Court on 29 March 2018,” Mulaudzi concluded.

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