GAUTENG: Nhlanhla Sizani (24) briefly appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates court today, 16 January 2024 on charges of fraud alternative forgery and uttering after he was issued with a summons on the 12 December 2023.
It is reported that during the 2021 Local Government Elections (LGE) the accused, Nhlanhla Sizani submitted a fraudulent letter with the United Nations (UN) ensignia requesting SAPS escort to polling stations for the duration of the elections. Sizani is said to have misrepresented himself as a United Nations (UN) Ambassador/ Diplomat and thus was escorted by SAPS Diplomatic Police Unit to various polling stations as an observer.
Through investigation by the Hawks’ Crime Against the State within Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the UN confirmed that Sizani was not an Ambassador/Diplomat (observer) and the request for escort was not requested by them. SAPS suffered actual financial loss as a result of the misrepresentation.
The case was postponed to the 23 January 2024 for the accused to obtain legal representation.
