Dihlabeng municipality is under the spotlight after the senior leaders of the municipality were convicted of fraud amounting to millions of rands. Image: Singo
(The Post News)– After the arrest of the Dihlabeng local municipality’s members of the top management and the service provider on 23 August 2024 by the Hawk’s Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bethlehem, the community expressed their views.
The Municipal Manager (MM), Lekgetho Isaac Mokgatlhe (53), the Director of Public Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlement, Ntokozo Eric Shabalala (43), and the service provider, Thabang Johannes Thinyane (43), were arrested for the activities that took place at the Dihlabeng municipality.Â
In 2023 wherein, the Hawks received information from the office of the premier in the Free State regarding the allegation that Mokgatlhe and Shabalala irregularly appointed Thinyane without following due process to supply and install a diesel generator at the water treatment works in the Saulspoort dam.
According to the Hawk’s provincial spokesperson, Captain Christopher Singo, it was further reported that Mokgatlhe and Shabalala drafted an appointment letter for Thinyane for R7.2 million. Thinyane only erected the slab at the site and invoiced the municipality an amount of R611,000. “As a result of fraudulent activity, Dihlabeng local municipality was prejudiced and suffered a total loss of R611,000,” says Singo.
A disgruntled resident, Felicia Mokhomo says it is so sad to notice that the leaders who were appointed to serve the residents keep looting from the poor. She further mentioned that law enforcement agencies should be strict and hand over heavy judgment when it comes to such fraud.
Another resident, Paul Mokone criticised the leadership of black people as “poor.” Mokone also calls for heavy judgment for the wrongdoers who loot and leave the residents with no service delivery.
Trio were released on R10,000 bail each on Friday and will appear before the Bethlehem magistrate’s court on 18 September 2024 facing the charges of fraud, forgery, uttering, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA)
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