Thanduxolo Poswa Jailed 10 Years in Funeral Director RAF Case

Funeral director Thanduxolo Poswa was sentenced to 10 years’ direct imprisonment in the Komani Regional Court after stealing and laundering R500 000 from a Road Accident Fund payout meant for an 82-year-old woman. The court found that only R405 000 reached Desemelo Sekhosana from the R1.4 million settlement.

Poswa, 56, was convicted on seven years for theft and three years for money laundering. He told the court that the money was a gift and payment for vehicle expenses, but the court rejected that version and found him guilty.

Komani Regional Court

The claim had been lodged by L. Mtiya & Company Attorneys on behalf of Sekhosana after her daughter died in a motor vehicle accident. After legal fees, about R1.1 million was due to the claimant, but her bank account was found to be inactive.

Family members and attorneys agreed that the funds would be paid into Patricia Sekhosana’s account. Patricia Sekhosana later transferred portions of the payout to the other accused, and Poswa received R500 000, the largest share.

Patricia Sekhosana account

Evidence before the court showed that Poswa later pressured Sekhosana to transfer more funds to him after learning of the payout. He used the R500 000 to build a house, and prosecutors said recovery of the stolen funds would be unlikely because the house is on communal land.

Poswa and his co-accused, Patricia Sekhosana, Nomandla Papiyana and Sijadu Poswa, all pleaded guilty. The co-accused each received wholly suspended five-year sentences, while Magistrate Nosisa Ngcongolo rejected Poswa’s request to repay the money in instalments or transfer ownership of the house.

Samkelo Mtwana

The State argued for a 15-year minimum sentence, saying the money was meant to support the deceased woman’s minor children. Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Samkelo Mtwana said the case highlights the effectiveness of the justice system in tackling white-collar crime and protecting vulnerable victims.

The sentence leaves Poswa serving a custodial term for taking money from a settlement meant to reach an elderly claimant, while the rest of the group avoided active jail time through suspended sentences. That split is likely to define how the case is read: the court treated Poswa’s role as the central abuse of the payout, not the others’ later transfers of the money.