Court temporarily halts Mzwinila assets seizure
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 14, 2026 16:05
Delivering the verdict yesterday, Justice Oteng Motlhala issued an order interdicting the Office of the Receiver from evicting the respondents' employees from the properties listed in the court documents, pending the hearing of the matter.
The case emanates from a lifestyle audit of the former minister and his wife, Bridgette Mzwinila. Mzwinila and his family are allegedly currently outside the country. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) alleges the couple used government contracts and layered business structures to acquire property and move money through agricultural ventures.
The case is driven by an affidavit from Chief Anti-Corruption Officer Emalerona Makgasi Mogwera, who leads the investigation. Filed under the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act (PICA), her statement forms the basis of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) application to freeze Mzwinila’s properties, bank accounts, and company interests across the country.
According to Mogwera, the DCEC began its inquiry in December 2024, following an anonymous tip alleging that the Mzwinilas were living far beyond their means. She writes that the couple, married in community of property, held “a vast amount of land, vehicles, and cash”, inconsistent with any known legitimate source of income.
Case continues.