Nokuzola Mafunda, the director of Ithani Amen, handed herself over to police in connection with the allegations and made her first appearance in the Pretoria Commercial Crime Court on Thursday morning.

The service provider at the centre of fraud and theft allegations against the director-general of the national Department of Health, Sandile Buthelezi, has been arrested.

Nokuzola Mafunda, the director of Ithani Amen, handed herself over to police in connection with the allegations and made her first appearance in the Pretoria Commercial Crime Court on Thursday morning.

The department awarded Mafunda a tender, funded by the Global Fund to fight aids, tuberculosis and malaria.

She has been charged with fraud for allegedly making misrepresentations, including that her company was a supplier on the Central Supplier Database.

It is also the State’s case that Ithani Amen was registered on 22 August 2023, just nine days before the department appointed the company.

A day after her appointment, the State alleges Mafunda opened a bank account for the newly formed company.

Meanwhile, Buthelezi, CFO Phineas Mamogale, and the acting deputy director-general of corporate services, Malixole Mahlathi, have been accused of theft and fraud involving payments from the Global Fund.

Buthelezi has also been charged with contravening the Public Finance Management Act for allegedly unlawfully appointing service providers.

More to follow.