KASIBC_AFRICA©®™
SIU FREEZES PROPERTY LINKED TO LATE ACTOR PRESLEY CHWENEYAGAE
CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR©®™
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained a preservation order from the Special Tribunal to freeze a residential property in Hesteapark, Pretoria, linked to the late actor Mr Presley Chweneyagae, his spouse, and several other respondents in a National Lotteries Commission (NLC) corruption case.
The order, handed down by Judge M Victor on 18 December 2025, is directed against Ms Charlaine Christinah Chweneyagae, in her personal capacity and as Executrix of her late husband’s estate, as well as Mr Alfred Muzwakhe Sigudla, the Southern African Youth Movement NPO, Domestic Baboon (Pty) Ltd, and others. The order prohibits any sale, transfer, lease, encumbrance, or disposal of a home in Pretoria, Gauteng, pending the finalisation of civil proceedings to be instituted by the SIU within 60 court days.
The property is alleged to have been purchased with approximately R889,000 diverted from a R15 million NLC grant meant for youth arts programmes. The SIU’s investigation found that the grant was approved for the Southern African Youth Movement NPO — represented by Sigudla — and subsequently channelled through Domestic Baboon (Pty) Ltd, a company solely owned by the late Presley Chweneyagae, to acquire the private residence.
The primary mission of the SIU is to recover proceeds from beneficiaries of NLC grant funding who are involved in unlawful activities, thereby restoring the State’s financial losses.
Authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa through Proclamation R32 of 2020, the SIU is dedicated to investigating allegations of corruption and maladministration within the NLC and to recovering financial losses incurred by the State. The order from the Special Tribunal represents an important step in the SIU’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
The SIU is empowered to initiate civil proceedings in the High Court or a Special Tribunal to address any wrongdoing it identifies, in accordance with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996. Any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during investigations will be forwarded to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further legal action.
