This time, a former Technical Services Director at the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality, which include Bloemhof, was summoned by the Hawks to appear in court on 20 November 2020. 

The Hawks' provincial spokesperson, Tlangelani Rikhotso, says the 44-year-old official allegedly contravened the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA). The official is said to have paid a whopping amount of R504 143 to the service provider he allegedly singlehandedly chose and flouted the supply chain processes by sourcing quotations and invoices. 

Meanwhile, on Friday the Atamelang Magistrate's Court released the former Acting Municipal Manager (MM) of the Ratlou Local Municipality, Cassius Sejake (45), on R5000 bail after he was arrested for allegedly flouting tender procedures to the value of R7,8 million between 2018 and 2019.

Since Monday 19 October 2020, the Hawks nabbed several municipal officials, including at least two municipal officials, a former official and a mayor, on charges of fraud and theft amounting to millions of rands. 

On Monday, Sejake was busted for allegedly contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act's Section 173, which amounted to fruitless and wasteful expenditure. 

Four days later, the Executive Mayor of JB Marks Local Municipality, Kgotso Khumalo, and his former Municipal Manager (MM) Cyril Henry, were also nabbed on Friday 23 October on charges of theft and fraud, amounting to R5 million.

Also, Monday 26 October, a third suspect, Mohau Shuping, in the JB Marks fraud and theft case handed himself over the police and was released on a warning and the case against them will resume on 1 December at the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court. 

The trio is facing eight charges of theft and fraud involving municipal funds. It is alleged that the North-West University and the Programme for Community Development paid about R5 million into a trust account of an attorney for the use of specific projects by the municipality.

OFM News