Reports claim that an order from the High Court was granted to the SIU on Friday to freeze nine luxury properties belonging to Tsotsi actress Terry Pheto.
The properties are in Hartbeespoort Dam, Centurion and Johannesburg, a BMW and two Ocean Basket franchises in the East Rand worth a combined value of R25 Million belonging to the actress and eight other people.
Reports say that five of the eight are representatives of the trust funds.
The investigations into the National Lottery Commission (NLC) revealed that Non Profit organisations funded the acquisition with money they received under the NLC grant funding.
The SIU said the properties constitute proceeds of unlawful activities hence the application to freeze the assets while the application for the final forfeiture is pending.
The SIU also said it investigated offences dating from January 2014 to November 2020.
According to City Press, the SIU said the list of names has been released and includes two lawyers, an accountant, a Hotel Group CEO and a former Commissioner of the NLC.
Lesley Ramulifho, Collin Tshisimba, Promise Kharivhe, Mashudu Shanduka, Charlotte Mampane, Jim Skosana, Botshelo Moloto and Rebotile Malomane are all implicated and alleged to have bought the seized properties with monies obtained from the NLC under the auspices of grant funding.
Terry Pheto is a respected member of the film industry in the country and became an internationally acclaimed star after participating in an Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi with Presely Cheneyagae.
The actress has also appeared on the most popular international hit Soapie, The Bold and The Beautiful, as Dr Malaika Maponya. She has graced our screens on Zone 14 and many more.
The news has hit social media, and everyone has been adding their opinion on this matter.
“I can’t believe Terry Pheto posted that she fears South Africa Men Kant is she’s busy with Fraud 😩😩😩” one famous tweet account ChrisExcel wrote on his timeline.
Memes of the movie Tsotsi have been floating everywhere on social media; Tsotsi is slang, meaning crook.
“According to the news, Terry Pheto is a Tsotsi,” wrote @AmuFloyd on Twitter.
Pheto was trending a few weeks ago for saying she fears South African men more than anything else. Terry responded to a newspaper article about a shocking number of children murdered this year. The statement has now been used against her as well.
Terry hasn’t been reached for comment yet on the NLC story.