money laundering
Former MP Rubben Mohlaloga, once Chair of Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, has been ordered to begin serving a 20-year prison sentence for fraud and money laundering. The conviction stems from a R6 million Land Bank grant scandal that diverted funds meant for black farmer empowerment. His final appeal has failed.
Former Member of Parliament and former Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs, Manyaba Rubben Mohlaloga, has been ordered to report to the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 23 October 2025 to begin serving his 20-year prison sentence. The sentence, handed down in February 2019, follows his conviction on charges of fraud and money laundering linked to the misappropriation of public funds.
The conviction stems from a Hawks investigation launched in October 2012 into the irregular payment of R6 million from the AgriBEE Fund, a R100 million programme managed by the Land Bank to empower previously disadvantaged farmers. Investigators found that in February 2008, the grant was unlawfully released on the verbal instruction of the then Land Bank CEO, bypassing all required approval procedures. Evidence later revealed that Mohlaloga, who chaired the parliamentary committee overseeing agriculture and land affairs at the time, personally benefitted from the disbursed funds.
Following the investigation, the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court found Mohlaloga guilty of one count of fraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for fraud and 15 years for money laundering, with 10 years of the latter to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20-year term.
Mohlaloga’s attempts to challenge the conviction were unsuccessful. Both the Pretoria High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed his appeals. In August 2025, the Supreme Court of Appeal directed that he commence serving his sentence. Seeking to delay imprisonment, Mohlaloga applied for a bail extension pending a planned appeal to the Constitutional Court. The Pretoria High Court heard the matter on 16 September 2025 and, after opposition by the State, dismissed the application on 13 October 2025, ordering him to surrender himself for incarceration.
Lieutenant General Patrick Mbotho, Acting National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commended the investigative and prosecutorial teams for their persistence and professionalism. He said the case sends a strong message that the abuse of public resources will not go unpunished, regardless of an individual’s political influence or former status.
