The Chief Financial Officer of the North West Development Corporation (NWDC) Kudakwashe Mpofu has resigned with immediate effect on Sunday.
His resignation follows a probe by the Department of Home Affairs and the media that he obtained his residence permit fraudulently.
“The North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation, and Tourism (DEDECT) has confirmed that Chief Financial Officer of the North West Development Corporation (NWDC) Kudakwashe Mpofu has resigned with immediate effect on Sunday.
His resignation comes after a series of news reports which indicated that he has fraudulently obtained his residence permit. On the 17th March 2024, the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed to media houses that indeed Kudakwasha Mpofu, who is a citizen of Zimbabwe, did not obtain his residence permit through the Department of Home Affairs,” said the department in a statement.
The reports were confirmed by Motsoaledi during a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday who updated the nation on the immigration and visas.
“I am here today to confirm that according to our records Kudakwashe Mpofu’s permanent residence document is fraudulent and was not issued by the department of Home Affairs and we do not know where he obtained it,” the statement quoted the Minister.
The Minister also questioned how the NWDC Human Resource unit employed Mpofu without performing due diligence as it is the duty of each prospective employer to perform such before employing anyone.
Motsoaledi said Mpofu was informed in June last year that that his alleged permanent residence permit is fraudulent, but he however continued to work for NWDC.
Motsoaledi has since requested the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the matter and DEDECT spokesperson Jerry Matebesi said MEC Tsotso Tlhapi has vowed to cooperate with the law enforcement agency to get to the bottom of the matter.
“DEDECT has since through its MEC Tlhapi noted the report by the Minister of Home Affairs and vows to cooperate with law enforcement agencies investigating this matter.
“As a department we have been following this matter since last week when it appeared on one of the media outlets.
“I can confirm that the management of the department and the CEO of NWDC will cooperate fully with the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on this matter,” added the statement quoting Tlhapi.
On March 10, the Sunday World reported that Mpofu, a Zimbabwean national, was fighting tooth and nail to stop the home affairs department from deporting him.
Mpofu is expected in court soon to challenge the department’s intention of deporting him to Zimbabwe.