Central SA
Municipal manager’s case transferred to court─── ZENANDE MPAME 12:30 Thu, 20 Apr 2023
The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Mmabatho has been assigned to hear the case against Cassius Sejake (46), the former acting Municipal Manager of the Ratlou Local Municipality in the North West.
The case was transferred by the Atamelang Regional Court.
The case is scheduled to be heard on 4 May 2023 for the appointment of a presiding officer. The bail of R5 000 was extended until his next court appearance.
The state is worried about a number of delays that have been brought on by Sejake's decision to fire his legal representatives and replace them with new ones.
He was detained by the Hawks in September 2020 on suspicion of violating Section 173 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), following allegations that he disregarded tender procedures worth R7,8 million between 2018 and 2019 while serving as the Ratlou Local Municipality's acting municipal manager.
It is alleged that he failed to take the necessary precautions to ensure that the procurement procedures were followed and adhered to in his capacity as the then-accounting officer.
It is claimed that service providers were chosen without holding competitive bidding processes.
Investigations have been concluded for some time, and the state is prepared to go forward with a pre-trial conference so that the trial may start.
