The South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) has rejected claims made in a Hawks media statement that two people arrested in connection with an alleged fraud case were directors of the organisation.
The response follows the arrest of a 41-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, who are expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of fraud.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the couple allegedly defrauded SANZAF of more than R170,000 that had been allocated to support Islamic studies and Qur’aan memorisation programmes for underprivileged youth.
Western Cape Hawks spokesperson Siyabulela Vukubi said the suspects were arrested after warrants of arrest were executed by the Crimes Against the State (CATS) and National Priority Violent Crime (NPVC) teams, together with Lentegeur Visible Policing officers.
“It is reported that during 2018 and 2020 the South African Zakah Fund received an application from the two suspects for financial assistance to conduct Islamic studies and Qur’aan memorisation for underprivileged youth,” Vukubi said.
He noted that the suspects, who were described in the Hawks statement as SANZAF directors, received R171,350 intended to benefit underprivileged learners but instead used the money for personal travel expenses.
However, SANZAF has strongly disputed that claim, saying the two individuals have never served as directors or board members of the organisation.
Speaking to VOC News, SANZAF CEO Yasmina Francke said the organisation issued a public statement to correct what it described as factual inaccuracies in the Hawks’ media release.
“They are not directors of SANZAF. We felt it was necessary and important to address the inaccuracies in the Hawks statement. The claim that these individuals were SANZAF board members is factually incorrect,” Francke said.
She said the incorrect description carries significant reputational risks for the organisation.
“Every single person who supports SANZAF trusts us with their donations. We needed to set the record straight because claims such as these can cast doubt on our integrity,” she added.
Francke confirmed that the suspects were known to SANZAF because they had previously applied for financial assistance on behalf of a hifz (Qur’aan memorisation) school for underprivileged learners.
She explained that the funding was approved only after the organisation’s standard verification procedures had been completed.
“They approached us for assistance, and like every application, it went through our stringent verification process. We require supporting documentation, we conduct site visits, and we visited the school. The support was for needy students, and it is not the only hifz school that SANZAF assists,” she said.
Francke added that the Hawks contacted SANZAF during their investigation after identifying the organisation’s financial support as a link to the suspects.
“We were able to provide investigators with the background to our support and explain the processes we follow. We fully cooperated with the investigation,” she said.
SANZAF has reiterated that it remains committed to transparency and accountability, stressing that its funding decisions are subject to strict governance and oversight measures.
This is still a developing story.
Photo: Supplied
