Africa-Press – Eswatini. An officer within the office of the Master of the High Court has blown the whistle on how an Estate belonging to late businessman, Sipho Thulani ‘Tsetla’ Bhembe is being depleted and how monies are being signed off from the estate by some authorities within the office.
Documents seen by this publication prove that money and even livestock has been signed off from Bhembe’s estate to the same bank account right under the noses of some of the other beneficiaries.
According to the documents, a total of E312 015 and two cows have been signed off since December 2021. The authorisations’ were signed off yet the estate has not been wound-up by the office.
According to a legal opinion, the process of winding up an estate required that the executor establishes a liquidation and distribution account. This was also accompanied by an advertisement calling for all who owe or were owed by that particular Estate.
Thirty days after the liquidation and distribution is advertised in the local newspapers, the estate is then distributed among the beneficiaries if there is no objections on the liquidation and distribution account.
The objections are expected to be filed before the 30 days lapses. Also if there was a spouse, who was married to the deceased in community of property, they were entitled to half of the estate and an equal share of the remaining 50 per cent with the rest of the beneficiaries.
The first payment was made three days after the late Premier League of Eswatini executive member and Vovovo founder passed on. The shrewd football administrator took his last breath on in early December 2021 while undergoing treatment at Lubombo Referral Hospital after he had tested positive for COVID -19.
According to the documents, the first payment was signed off mere days after the late Bhembe passed on.
The first payment was authorised by the office on December 19, 2019 where the office granted authority to pay the amount of E40 000 in a cash form for the service of a motor vehicle from the estate late account.
Ten days later on December 29, 2022 another payment amounting to E 14 000 was signed off and deposited in the same bank account for the payment of salaries for the late Bhembe’s employees.
On February 22, 2022, the office granted authority to pay the sum of E55 750 to the same account which was followed by another transaction on May 31, 2022, where the director at the veterinary and livestock services in Mbabane under the ministry of agriculture was requested to transfer two cows from the deceased’s name to a buyer.
This was followed by another payment which was signed off on January 16, 2023 where the office authorised the payment of the sum of E89 265 to the same bank account as the first two payments, however the reason for the payment were not stated in the authorisation letter.
In the same authorisation document from the office, another payment amounting to the sum of E96 000 was made to a business account for the fuel of vehicles.
The last payment authorised by the office was on March 31, 2023 where the office granted authority to pay the sum of E 17 000 to the same bank account. The reason for the payment was also not stated in the authorisation document.
Meanwhile, Registrar of the Supreme Court, Siphiwo Masuku, who is the Controlling Officer at Judiciary had still not responded to questions from this publication at the time of compiling this report. She had asked to be sent a questionnaire which she was still to respond to last night.
Source: times
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