News stories about lost dockets, incomplete evidence and missing witnesses have dominated the headlines in South Africa in recent years. Tracking fraud, managing evidence and solving complex cases could soon become easier, thanks to a digital tool developed by a North-West University (NWU) professor in forensic accountancy.
Prof. Constant van Graan, associate professor and programme leader for forensic accountancy, has developed the Ponaletso Commercial Forensic Interviewing (CFI) Digital Platform, which brings key parts of a forensic investigation into one digital space. Ponaletso means “transparency” in Sesotho, and the tool aims to help investigators save time, reduce paperwork and keep accurate records.
Forensic teams often rely on several systems to manage cases, interviews and evidence. This slows their work and makes it hard to keep track of key facts.
“Investigators often face the challenge of managing large amounts of information across different systems,” says Prof. Van Graan. “Ponaletso brings these processes together in one secure and organised space. Our goal is to make investigations more efficient, improve the handling of evidence and help investigators make informed decisions."
The platform supports each stage of an investigation, from opening a case to writing the final report. It helps teams store evidence, manage interviews, track documents and identify links between people involved in a case. It also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to support certain tasks and help teams manage their workload.
Making investigations easier
According to Prof. Van Graan, the idea behind Ponaletso is to help investigators work faster without losing control of vital evidence.
The platform also tracks the chain of custody, so investigators have a record of who handled each piece of evidence, when they handled it and how it moved during the investigation.
He believes the tool could benefit forensic firms, banks, insurance companies, auditors and public sector teams, as well as units that investigate fraud and financial crime.
The technology is at an advanced prototype stage, with its main case management, evidence handling, and office functions already in place, and the Ponaletso name has been trademarked to protect the platform’s identity ahead of its market launch.
NWU seeks industry partners
Ponaletso demonstrates how university-based innovation can address practical, real-world challenges, and the NWU is now looking for partners to test the system, refine its features and explore ways to bring it to market.
Working with industry partners will help the university test and develop the platform further. The NWU owns the intellectual property and may license the technology to interested partners.
Organisations interested in testing or developing the platform can contact TechTransfer@nwu.ac.za or visit: https://services.nwu.ac.za/technology-transfer-and-innovation-support/h….
Prof. Constant van Graan
