In December 2015, investigative journalist, Sabelo Skiti, stumbled upon a story about a well-known lawyer in the Eastern Cape claiming to be fighting the good fight for children born with disabilities in the province’s poorer communities. The lawyer's name is Zuko Nonxuba and, despite Skiti’s extensive reporting, it would take another nine years before Nonxuba would be held to account.
On 4 December 2024, the Western Cape High Court ordered that Zuko Nonxuba as well as Nonxuba Inc be struck off the roll of legal practitioners. Furthermore, Nonxuba has to hand over his certificate of enrolment within one week. The court found that Nonxuba "engaged in the theft of trust funds on an industrial scale". Based on the evidence, it was found that Nonxuba transferred R348 845 000 in "perfectly round amounts on 759 occasions since January 2017".
In an attempt to recover some of the funds owed to the various families of disabled children, the court also ordered that all accounts, records, files and documents be handed over to the court. All persons who had access to accounts linked to Nonxuba and his firm will also be prevented from having further access. In addition, Nonxuba will be financially responsible for all costs relating to the management of funds currently held in Trust.
In the final judgment, Judges Francis and Henney lambasted Nonxuba for failing in his duties. "Mr Nonxuba is not guilty of a mere moral lapse, but his conduct is suggestive of a character defect that has severely compromised his integrity.”
Watch our multi-part investigation into Zuko Nonxuba below.
STEALING FROM THE DISABLED
UPDATE: STEALING FROM THE DISABLED
FINDING ZUKO NONXUBA
JUSTICE PREVAILS
UPDATE: JUSTICE PREVAILS
Read the full judgement below:
