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Top Free State Municipal Officials Arrested for Fraud

The former municipal manager and department director in the Dihlabeng Local Municipality appeared in court on Friday

Two former senior Dihlabeng Local Municipality officials and a businessman were last week arrested on charges of fraud.

The former municipal manager of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality, together with the former director of the municipal department of public works, infrastructure and human settlements, were arrested by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team on Friday.

Also arrested was businessman Thabang Thinyane, who was contracted to provide services to the municipality.

Former municipal manager Lekgetho Mokgathle and director Ntokozo Tshabalala appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court on Friday along with Thinyane.

The trio face charges of fraud, forgery, uttering (intentionally passing off a false document) and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). The suspects were granted R10,000 bail, and the case postponed to 18 September for further investigation.

It is alleged that Mokgathle and Tshabalala irregularly appointed Thinyane as a service provider to supply and install diesel generators at the water treatment works at Sol Plaatje Dam on the outskirts of Bethlehem, without following due processes.

In a media statement Captain Christopher Singo of the Hawks stated that the municipality “suffered a total loss of R611,000”.

Singo said the Hawks received the information about the alleged fraud at the municipality from the office of the Premier in the Free State last year.

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