This follows after the Hawks yesterday arrested the Dihlabeng Local Municipality’s Municipal Manager, Busa Molatseli as well as Tefo Montsitsi, who is the Director of Company known as ‘Zero Tolerance’ and not Mqwathi as OFM reported earlier. The three officials are alleged to have influenced tender processes involving Zero Tolerance for their own gain and in so doing contravened the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) between August 2016 and November 2018. The spokesperson of the Hawks, Lloyd Ramovha told OFM News that as it stands, a warrant of arrest has been authorized for Mqwathi’s arrest and is considered a fugitive by the police. Meanwhile, Pulane Choane reports that Molatseli and Montsitsi, who were arrested by the Hawks yesterday, appeared at the Kroonstad District Court and were granted bail with conditions.

Both accused were released on of R10 000 each with the following Conditions:

- To attend court at all-time until the case is finalized,

- Not to contact and intefere with state witnesses,

- Not to commit any other crimes whilst on bail,

- To handover their passports to the investigation officer.

Dane: The case is remanded to 12 August 2019 for further investigations.

This comes after the Hawks on Monday arrested two senior executives from the Maluti a Phofung and Dihlabeng Local Municipalities in the province on Monday also on charges related to fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice. 

The pair, Mavis Mabula (46) and Solomon Nyembe (47) appeared briefly before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court on Monday and were released on R10 000 bail each and will reappear at the court on 13 June. All the arrests the Hawks have made this week relate to alleged tender fraud related to a company known as Zero Tolerance, which was meant to provide protection and security services to the Dihlabeng Local Municipality in Bethlehem. 

"The company was later unduly appointed to render similar services at the Moqhaka Local Municipality. These services were allegedly procured without following the correct supply chain management processes in terms of Municipal Finance Management Act, which resulted in irregular appointments, unauthorized, wasteful and fruitless expenditure amounting to over R35 million," Ramovha said in a statement. 

Ramovha concluded by saying that more arrests are expected as the task team continue with its interventions to rid Municipalities of maladministration, fraud, and corruption.

OFM News