Mzwinila accuses DPP of ‘witch hunt’

The Director of Public Prosecutions (Kgosietsile Ngakaagae), under sections 35 and 37 of the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act (PICA), late last year approached the court seeking the restraint of an extensive portfolio of properties belonging to Mzwinila and his wife, Bridget Mzwinila. The application was brought on an urgent and ex parte basis and culminated in the grant of a rule nisi on 24 December 2025. The Mzwinilas have since filed opposing papers, both on points of law and on the merits and have equally anticipated the matter.

According to an affidavit from Chief Anti-Corruption Officer Emalerona Makgasi Mogwera, who leads the investigation, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (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.