Centlec spokesperson, Lele Mamatu, shared how he was ambushed with a fake resignation letter by controversial CEO Malefame Sekoboto.

Mamatu said he was ambushed by Sekoboto with a resignation letter he never wrote, nor signed with Sekoboto accusing him of leaking damning information to ActionSA.

“I want to set the record straight that as far as I am concerned, I never submitted any letter of resignation to Centlec. I still consider myself an employee of Centlec. 

“So the purported letter was never written by me, hence it doesn’t even have my signature on it. It’s a matter that I’m currently consulting my legal team on.”

According to Mamatu, the confrontation took place during what was meant to be a routine meeting with the Sekoboto to discuss procurement matters. Instead, the discussion took a sudden turn when allegations raised by ActionSA were brought up.

Sekoboto reportedly accused Mamatu of leaking information to the political party and then presented him with a resignation letter, allegedly already typed out, demanding his signature. The letter was then signed by the CFO as a witness present during the meeting.

“I am still shocked by these developments,” Mamatu said. “The last time I checked, I had a meeting with the CEO, and we were discussing issues relating to procurement.

“Out of the blue, we ended up discussing the issues of allegations that were made by ActionSA on matters of Centlec, and that led to him bringing a letter to me that was already typed asking to put my signature in, which I refused.”

Deep-rooted conspiracy

Mamatu said he was also denied access to Centlec premises by security guards this morning, prompting him to seek urgent legal recourse. His legal team is now preparing to file a court application challenging what he describes as an unlawful termination.

ActionSA Free State chairperson Patricia Kopane previously raised alarm about alleged collusion between Centlec and senior officials from the Auditor-General’s Free State office, including regional head Nthako Saohatsi.

Kopane stated that the whistleblower testimony points to a deep-rooted conspiracy between senior officials from Centlec and the AG’s Free State office, also highlighting allegations of nepotism and political favouritism.

OFM News previously reported that Sekoboto allegedly appointed his son and five other family members within the past year. According to anonymous sources, he also targeted and suspended shop stewards who questioned the integrity of the hiring process.

In 2021, former DA Cllr Mokgadi Kganakga claimed in council that the CEO’s salary had been hiked to R2.4 million despite Treasury directives urging restraint in public sector wage increases.

She alleged the utility recorded a financial loss of over R5.2 million, saying, “This loss cannot be attributed to the effects of Covid-19 but can only be blamed on what she terms ‘the gravy train in the form of salary increases’.”

In 2022, another scandal erupted when former executive Nkomo took Sekoboto to court, seeking to have him declared a delinquent manager. Her court affidavit noted there were no signed board meeting minutes confirming Sekoboto’s official appointment.

OFM News attempted to contact Centlec with no success.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi