By Delisa Thwala
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) was shocked to learn how a girlfriend claimed a child not fathered by the deceased from an estate to support a child who was not a beneficiary.
The woman is alleged to have claimed the money for her child’s maintenance and school fees, despite knowing that the child was not the biological daughter of the deceased.
Lizzy Nkambule, who was Phineas Felani Makama’s girlfriend, made claims of up to E57 000 from the deceased’s estate, knowing that Nokuthula Matsebula aged 28, her biological daughter, was not supposed to benefit from the estate’s Liberty Life policy.
The allegations were revealed on Monday when the late Makama’s estate was brought before the JCI. The commission was told that Nkambule allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to her lawyers, PR Dunseith Attorneys, to be assisted with claims at the Office of the Master of the High Court.
Evidence brought before the commission shows that Nkambule submitted fraudulent documents to her lawyers to be assisted in claiming money on behalf of her child, Nokuthula.
It was further revealed that the biological children of the deceased, who were identified as Sifiso, Gugu, and Nelly, have not benefited from their father’s estate.Nkambule was further accused of forging documents for the sale of a plot at Ngwane Park, in Manzini.
Judge Maxine LaNgwenya described Nkambule’s behaviour as unbecoming. LaNgwenya advised Nkambule to pay back the money to the original beneficiaries.
“Make Nkambule utokele ngaphandle wena, which simply means; “You deserve to be arrested,” said LaNgwenya.
Meanwhile, Nkambule told the commission that since she was staying with the deceased, she had allowed her daughter to adopt Makama’s surname since he loved her so much.
She, however, denied most of the allegations against her.
“Makama met me while I already had a child. He did not discriminate against my child, as he supported her. Seeing that he loved me and my child, I then gave my daughter his surname,” she said
On the same note, Judge LaNgwenya asked Nkambule about her child’s original surname, and she responded that it was Matsebula.
She further said a woman from church, whom she identified as Dorris, came to her with an attorney and informed her to go to the Master’s Office to lodge a claim.
She said before that, she was appointed an executor, since she had claimed to have had a child with the deceased.
“Dorris is the one that approached me about the money at the Master’s Office, while I was a street vendor. She told me to go and claim what fully belonged to me at the Master’s Office.
Whenever I made a claim, I used to share half of the money with her,” she said.
Judge LaNgwenya then asked her how she got to know of the said attorney from PR Dunseith. In response, Nkambule told the commission that Dorris was the one who introduced her to the lawyer.
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Judge Lorraine Hlophe also wanted clarity from Nkambule on whether she had any child with the deceased. The latter said she had no child with the deceased.
“Are you aware that you committed fraud, based on what has happened? Asked Hlophe. Nkambule’s response was:
“The lawyers made me commit the offence.” Meanwhile, Gugu Makama, one of the estate beneficiaries, informed the commission that they were not happy with how Nkambule deprived them of their father’s estate.
She further wanted Nkambule to explain why she and her child claimed money from their late father’s Liberty Life policy.
“A sum of E88 810 from Liberty Life was given to someone who was not supposed to benefit. Sifiso, Kayise, Xolile, and I have not received any cent as of today,” said Gugu.
Meanwhile, Sebenele Nhlengetfwa from PR Dunseith, told the commission that they got information from Nkambule about certain claims she intended to lodge at the Master’s Office. He said they would not have known if she had money or not.
He was further asked to state the amount claimed by Nkambule, as child maintenance.
“She made a claim of E57 000 towards the maintenance of the child, while the remaining E31 000 was handed over to the Master’s Office,” he explained.
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Judge Sifiso Sibandze felt that the whole process of claiming the money by Nkambule was fraudulent. He said there was no way there would not be a birth certificate,
at the time of Nokuthula’s birth in 1996, resulting in the exclusion of her birth certificate among the beneficiaries. He further suggested that Nkambule must be made to pay back the amount.
Assistant Master Zanele Masondo told the commission that Nkambule tended to change her daughter’s surname on the receipts she collected from school while on her way to make claims at the Master’s Office.
“Nkambule has been doing this on various occasions,” she alleged.
As a way forward, Masondo suggested excluding Nokuthula from the beneficiaries. She said since there was a certain amount of money left from Makama’s estate,
the Master’s Office would distribute the money to the deceased’s biological children. Masondo said she would also assist in the sale of one of Phineas’s houses.
