Mbabane – The Mbabane Magistrate Court has today postponed the corruption trial of a 47-year-old Ministry of Home Affairs employee to July 6, 2026, following the late delivery of state witness statements and a revised charge sheet.
The accused, Nonhlanhla Phumla Malambe of Mbasheni, stands charged with multiple counts of contravening Section 42 of the Prevention of Corruption Act No. 3 of 2006.
The state alleges she abused her position of authority to unlawfully facilitate identity documents for a foreign national. The case was scheduled to proceed to trial today before the Mbabane Subordinate Court.
Public Prosecutor S. Phakathi informed the court that the state was prepared to present its case, noting that witness statements had been delivered to the defence on May 12, 2026.
Defence Counsel S. Ngwenya contested proceeding with the trial, stating that the defense was unprepared due to delays in receiving crucial documentation. Ngwenya argued that while the crown served the witness statements on May 12, the documents only reached the defence team on May 15, 2026.
The defense further noted that the statements arrived alongside a completely revised charge sheet, requiring additional consultation time with the client. The prosecution raised no objections to a scheduling delay, leading the court to formally reset the trial date to July 6, 2026.
Malambe will remain out of custody on her initial E5,000 bail package until the new trial date.Her bail terms strictly prohibit trial evasion, interference with crown witnesses, and committing similar offences while on release.
The charges stem from an investigation into an incident on February 12, 2024, in Mbabane.The prosecution states that Malambe, acting individually or in common purpose, directly or indirectly offered to issue a Kingdom of Eswatini birth certificate and a national identity card to Vusimuzi Matlala, a South African national.
The documents carried the Personal Identification Number (PIN) 7605286100465. The state argues that the issuance constituted an abuse of authority, a breach of trust, and a violation of the legal duties governing employees of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The court has warned three state witnesses to appear when the trial resumes in July Mcolisi Shongwe, Christine Membi Shongwe, and Christopher Dlamini.
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