The Bojanala District Municipality, which includes Rustenburg in North West has suspended a senior accounting officer who was implicated in tender fraud of R134 million.

OFM News previously reported that a repeat offender, Patrick Shikwane, is implicated in a massive looting of government funds wherein he is accused of splashing R2 million on two laptops, R10 million on an Events Management Company that doesn’t have an address, R359,000 on lunch and transport for councillors to attend a one-day ward committee meeting and R299,000 for 60 food parcels.

Following the arrest of Shikwane and his accomplice, who is a service provider, the council of the municipality decided to suspend the current municipal manager after he was also implicated by a forensic report which probed the 2019 tender saga. It’s alleged that he paid the said amount of money to service providers despite warnings and opposition to such. The companies were appointed by Shikwane, who is now out on bail of R10,000 after he was caught by the Hawks last week in Hartbeesfontein.

The Executive Mayor, Matlakala Nondzaba, said the council has suspended Lethlhonolo Fourie, following a special council sitting on 29 September. Nondzaba said the council decision is about payments made to companies implicated in the forensic report on R134 million that was erroneously transferred to the municipality in 2019.

“Council resolved to appoint an external investigator to investigate the allegations against the municipal manager in line with disciplinary procedures in the local government. The independent investigator is expected to submit a report to the council within 30 days,” Nondzaba said.

OFM News reported in 2022 that Patrick Shikwane (51), who is the former Municipal Manager for the Bojanala District Municipality, which includes Rustenburg, was also arrested for wrongdoing linked to a R2.4 million tender.

At the time, Shikwane was arrested for irregularly awarding a tender to a service provider who allegedly did not even do the work.

OFM News