There are growing calls for the Hawks to investigate its former national spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi who quit yesterday after weeks of damning allegations about the R3m funding received from the National Lotteries Commission.
Mulaudzi tended his resignation claiming a lot of people wanted him out of the elite crime-busting unit. "The last four years have been hell for me in this environment and I think it's about time that I move on. I'm a human being, I'm not a robot. I've been taking blows left right and centre on a daily basis. I have been called names," he said.
Mulaudzi's foundation was given the money to establish a sports centre in Mashamba, Limpopo, but the money was allegedly used to fund other activities.
His resignation came after the DA alleged that a social development internal document revealed that Muluadzi’s foundation failed to submit annual reports and compliance documents since 2018. He has denied the claims.
DA shadow deputy minister of trade, industry and competition, Mat Cuthbert, said last night that there was "strong prima facie evidence" against Mulaudzi which called for an immediate investigation.
The DA had questioned the funding of Malaudzi's foundation, saying it raised a conflict of interest as the Hawks were probing four alleged corrupt projects linked to the National Lotteries Commision (NLC).
"The fact that Mulaudzi changed the name of his organisation after a Limpopo local media house brought the issue to light makes for curious reading and I do believe that is the behaviour of a man that is guilty and if these allegations are proven to be true we hope he ends up behind bars," Cuthbert said.
He said there was already sufficient evidence in the public domain that calls for criminal investigations against Mulaudzi who received funding from a public institution while he was a public servant.
Cuthbert said a report by Forensics for Justice which he had seen alleged misuse of the NLC funding including that Mulaudzi colluded with senior officials at the NLC to secure it.
Mulaudzi told Sowetan last night he was not forced to resign. He said the allegations surfaced four years ago and that there was a smear campaign against him.
"It's a personal decision to resign and no one advised me to do that," he said.
"This is something that has been eating me and you end up losing passion about your work. I felt that it's the right time [to resign] especially when it comes to my family because my family was being threatened.
"Now I'm being drawn into issues of politics and I'm not even a politician. The issue was that I'm going to meddle with the investigation that are happening at the National Lottery Commission. I'm not an investigator, and people must learn to differentiate between the two things."
Mulaudzi said his organisation was there to improve the life of rural folk.
"Black people are suffering in rural areas of Limpopo and young kids are still playing in dusty roads and don't have proper facilities to go and play but when you travel around the country you see all these nice things happening. But, when you bring that development in rural areas then it's corruption. I don't know why a black person will always be associated with corruption. [Development of rural areas] is my passion and that is what I'm still going to do."
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