Centlec spokesperson, Lele Mamatu, tells OFM News that this is the highest amount of money owed to the utility presently. In total, businesses/entities in Mangaung Metro owe Centlec R400 million. Power at the FDC’s Bloemfontein headquarters was reconnected last week following a month of darkness, owing to its debt to Centlec.

Mamatu confirms that a payment agreement has been reached between the entity and the power utility, resulting in said reconnection. It remains to be seen if the embattled FDC will be able to meet the conditions and deadlines of its agreement with the power utility. Media queries sent to the FDC’s communication and marketing team last week are yet to be answered.

Last week, Loch Logan Waterfront’s power was also cut by Centlec in an effort to recoup part of the R400 million owed to the utility by local businesses.

In 2019, the FDC’s Bloemfontein offices were raided by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, in connection with the entity’s dealings with the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. The Hawks said at the time that they managed to seize documents and computers pertinent to their investigation and arrests were imminent. To date, it appears no arrests have been made in relation to the VBS deal.

The FDC came into the spotlight in 2018, following the release of Jerry Motau’s ‘Great Bank Heist’ report on the liquidated VBS. Motau alleged the FDC, along with 52 other entities and individuals, received “gratuitous payments” from the bank. The FDC vehemently denied that the more than R104 million was “gratuitous” stressing that it was an investment instead.

The chairperson of the entity’s board, Hantsi Matseke, said at the time that the entity had loaned the bank R100 million in June 2017. The bank repaid its loan in four tranches, the last of which was R54 million.

Having had insisted there was ample evidence of the transaction in their financials, it was reported there was in actual fact very little trace of the exchange, apart from an entry which indicated the entity was seeking about R9,5 million from the Bank which was not accessible due to the Limpopo-based bank being placed under curatorship.

OFM News