Eswatini Official Found Guilty Over Alleged Fraudulent Identity Documents Linked to Cat Matlala

Nomfundo Khumalo Published 2 hours ago

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An Eswatini civil registration official has been found guilty of dishonesty and corruption after unlawfully processing a birth certificate and national identity card linked to South African businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, in a case that has raised serious questions about the integrity of the kingdom’s identity registration system.

Nonhlanhla Malambe, an assistant regional civil registrar, was found guilty of misconduct after an investigation uncovered irregularities in the creation of identity documents issued under the name Vusimuzi Dlamini.

The investigation was triggered by an international verification request from Interpol after authorities sought to establish the authenticity of an Eswatini identity document linked to Matlala, who faces criminal charges in South Africa.

How the Alleged Identity Fraud Was Uncovered

According to findings by Eswatini’s Civil Service Commission, Malambe processed a birth certificate for Vusimuzi Dlamini on 12 February 2024. The document allegedly listed Thembi Christinah Zulu, an Eswatini woman, as his mother despite the absence of the required supporting documentation.

Eight days later, on 20 February 2024, a national identity card was issued under the same name.

The commission found that the documents had been processed outside the established civil registration procedures and that the official had used her position and system access to falsify parental information.

Investigators subsequently linked the transactions to a government user account identified as X1003, which was associated with Malambe.

The inquiry raised concerns that the documents had been deliberately processed in a manner that made the birth certificate appear to be a replacement for an older document. This created the impression that the registration had taken place previously and was intended to make the transaction more difficult to trace through routine audits.

The commission rejected the explanation that the irregularities amounted to an administrative mistake, finding that the conduct involved deliberate circumvention of the prescribed procedures.

Woman Listed as Matlala’s Mother Denies the Connection

The investigation also uncovered the circumstances surrounding the woman whose details appeared on the disputed birth certificate.

Phathizwe Hlatshwayo, an assistant national civil registrar responsible for supervising the Hhohho and Shiselweni regions, reportedly received the urgent Interpol request to verify an identity number registered under the name Vusimuzi Dlamini.

After checking the civil registration system, Hlatshwayo discovered that the identity number had been processed recently under the account linked to Malambe.

Further checks showed that Thembi Christinah Zulu had been listed as the person’s mother. However, a search of the official records for Zulu’s children did not show anyone named Vusimuzi Dlamini.

Hlatshwayo subsequently visited Zulu at her homestead in the Motshane area to investigate the discrepancy.

Zulu explained that she had lost her identity document at a clinic during a medical visit. She denied registering a child under the name Vusimuzi Dlamini and said the discovery that her personal details had allegedly been used to create a fictitious family connection had left her shocked and distressed.

Her account raised further questions about how her identity information had been obtained and used in the registration process.

Matlala Previously Denied Having an Eswatini ID

The identity document has also featured in South Africa’s parliamentary investigation into allegations of corruption and criminality within the criminal justice system.

During his appearance before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, Matlala denied possessing an Eswatini identity document and rejected claims that he used the surname Dlamini.

He also alleged that an image of the disputed document had been planted on his phone.

However, Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo subsequently told the committee that forensic analysis had established that the identity document formed part of a personal conversation between Matlala and his wife.

The disputed identity is now central to allegations that Matlala presented himself as a member of Eswatini’s royal family to secure a lease for a luxury property in Pretoria.

The state alleges that the identity was used as part of an arrangement to obtain a property in Waterkloof Ridge. Prosecutors have separately alleged that Matlala and three co-accused falsified documents to secure a lease for a property in Waterkloof Heights at a reported rental of R95,000 a month.

The allegations concerning the lease and the alleged use of the identity document remain matters for the criminal courts to determine.

Serious Concerns About Eswatini’s Civil Registration System

The Civil Service Commission found that the irregular issuance of national documents to a foreign national without a legal entitlement to Eswatini citizenship undermined the country’s civil registration system and raised concerns about national security.

The commission also warned that the matter had caused diplomatic embarrassment and damaged confidence in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The case highlighted the importance of safeguards governing birth registrations and identity documents, which are used to establish a person’s legal identity and can affect access to official services and cross-border movement.

The commission noted that the irregularity might not have been detected without the investigation by South African authorities and the subsequent Interpol verification request.

The case has also raised questions about whether other identity documents may have been issued through similar irregular processes and whether existing auditing procedures are sufficient to detect abuse by officials with access to government registration systems.

Disciplinary Findings Against the Official

Malambe initially pleaded not guilty to the disciplinary charges but later admitted wrongdoing during the proceedings.

The commission found her responsible for dishonesty involving the processing of the birth certificate and national identity card. Its findings indicated that the transactions were not simply the result of an accidental administrative error.

The matter formed part of broader scrutiny of alleged irregularities involving the issuance of Eswatini national documents.

The disciplinary findings concern Malambe’s conduct as a public official. Any separate criminal proceedings and the criminal allegations against Matlala must be distinguished from those employment-related findings.

What Happens Next?

The case places renewed attention on the disputed Eswatini identity and the allegations surrounding Matlala’s claimed royal connection.

The key questions concern how the identity was created, how it was allegedly used in South Africa, and whether further investigations will uncover additional irregularities in the issuing of national documents.

The commission’s findings establish that the official was found guilty of dishonesty in the disciplinary proceedings. They do not, by themselves, establish Matlala’s criminal guilt in the separate South African cases.

Matlala remains subject to the legal proceedings arising from the allegations against him, which must be resolved through the courts.