By Johnathan Paoli
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured a court order freezing a luxury Hartbeespoort property worth about R6 million that is allegedly linked to corruption and money laundering involving Gauteng High Court Judge Portia Dipuo Phahlane.
In a statement on Friday, National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi described the seizure as part of an ongoing operation to restore trust in criminal justice in the country.
“No person is above the law, particularly those entrusted with positions of authority, integrity, and public confidence. The NPA has a constitutional duty to act decisively where credible evidence points to corruption within institutions responsible for administering justice,” Mothibi said.
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“The credibility of both public institutions and social institutions is severely undermined when corruption infiltrates structures that society relies upon for justice, integrity and moral leadership,” he added.
The preservation order was obtained by the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
It places the property under the control of a curator bonis, a court-appointed individual or institution responsible for managing the financial and property affairs of an incapacitated person, and prevents anyone from selling, transferring or dealing with it while forfeiture proceedings are finalised.
According to the NPA, the Hartbeespoort property, purchased in 2022, was allegedly acquired partly with the proceeds of unlawful activities, including corruption and money laundering.
The application forms part of an ongoing criminal prosecution before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, where six accused, including Phahlane, are facing corruption-related charges.
The prosecution says the preservation application is based on evidence gathered during an extensive investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
According to court papers, investigators allege that between late 2021 and early 2022 a corrupt arrangement was established involving controversial International Pentecost Holy Church (IPHC) faction leader Bhekumzi Mike Sandlana, court interpreter Morongwa Malope and Judge Phahlane.
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The NPA said meetings allegedly took place in Brits, Nigel and Pretoria East, where cash payments were made and discussions held regarding the manipulation of pending church leadership litigation.
Investigators further allege that substantial funds linked to entities associated with the church dispute were channelled towards purchasing the Hartbeespoort property, which is registered in Phahlane’s name.
The evidence before court includes financial records, electronic tracking data, sworn statements, and documentary material which the NPA contends objectively corroborate the allegations.
The preservation application further alleges that the property constitutes the proceeds of unlawful activities arising from corruption-related offences and was also used in the commission of money laundering.
“Further proceedings may follow against additional persons alleged to have facilitated, benefited from, or participated in the unlawful activities under investigation.”
Mothibi stressed how corruption cases rarely involve only two individuals.
“Corruption seldom exists as a compact between only two individuals. It is sustained by networks of facilitators, intermediaries, beneficiaries, and enablers who contribute to the commission and concealment of criminal conduct. This matter illustrates this reality,” he said.
Mothibi also warned that corruption within the justice system undermines confidence in democratic institutions.
“The justice system depends fundamentally on public trust. Judges, court officials, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and all those within the justice cluster carry a heightened responsibility to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.”
The NPA commended the Hawks investigator involved in the matter, saying complex corruption and money laundering cases require meticulous financial analysis, disciplined evidence gathering and sustained investigative expertise.
Phahlane was arrested in November 2025 alongside her son, Kagiso Phahlane, as well as IPHC Jerusalem faction leader Michael Sandlana and church spokesperson Vusi Ndala.
The case stems from allegations that Phahlane accepted more than R2 million in bribes from Sandlana in exchange for delivering judgments favourable to his faction in the long-running leadership dispute within the IPHC following the death of church leader Glayton Modise in 2016.
Prosecutors allege the money trail uncovered by investigators links millions of rand to the accused and ultimately to the acquisition of the Hartbeespoort property.
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Phahlane has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the criminal case is driven by a personal vendetta arising from the bitter church succession battle.
Through her lawyer, Piet du Plessis, she previously said allegations of corruption surfaced after she refused an application for her recusal during the church litigation.
The criminal prosecution against Phahlane and her co-accused remains before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court while the NPA continues with efforts to forfeit the Hartbeespoort property as alleged proceeds of crime.
