There are at least 44 cases of corruption and fraud under investigation by the Hawks in Free State involving 16 municipalities.
This is according to the presentation by Lieutenant General Lebea, National Head of the Priority Crime in possession of this publication.
According to Lebea, the 44 cases include 8 that are currently on the roll, 4 are pending a decision from the National prosecuting Authority, and 32 cases that are under investigation.
Out of these 16 municipalities, Matjhabeng Local Municipality is in the forefront with 9 cases while the waterless and powerless Maluti-A-Phofung is second with 8 cases and Dihlabeng Local Municipality third with 5 cases.
It is Dihlabeng Local Municipality with potentially the biggest loss of R55 359 012 19 after the Bloemfontein High Court set aside the appointment of the tender and declared it unlawful in March 2017.
Moqhaka Local Municipality allegedly appointed the same company that Bloemfontein High Court declared their tender with Dihlabeng unlawful, they too (Moqhaka) lost alleged R35 766 088 09 in a security tender that was awarded by the municipal manager allegedly without following the prescripts of supply chain processes.
Maluti-A-Phofung could not be left out as they appointed the same security company allegedly fraudulently and suffered a loss of R17 735 613 40.
Maluti-A-Phofung senior officials allegedly awarded a R23 602 879 75 tender to a company that was disqualified by BEC for not meeting minimum requirements in the IT Solutions tender.
That company was also awarded tenders at Dihlabeng Municipality.
It is also alleged that Dihlabeng Municipality awarded a livestock tender repeated (twenty times) to one company while others were just covered quoting.
Matjhabeng Local Municipality’s alleged irregular appointment of a service provider to clean the cemeteries and illegal dumping sites with no services rendered has lost R72 million according to the Hawks.
According to an official from Auditor General Matjhabeng awarded a tender to build a Storm Water system in Nyakallong, and payment of R15 898 611.18 was processed but upon investigation, the Storm Water system was never built.
The biggest scandal which dates back to 2021, is of an alleged company in which the Executive Mayor and Municipal Manager of Matjhabeng Municipality had an interest in the appointment of an R200 million tender and that company was awarded a 5-year contract.
In the auditor general’s report, R15 million was paid to a company to build a stadium and when her team visited the area there was no stadium.
Why do comrades resort to the construction of stadiums when they want to steal? It seems to be a pattern though.
In a separate incident the Hawks however in their report allege a company was awarded an R24 million contract to build a sports complex in Oranjeville by Metsimaholo Local Municipality while locals demanded to be subcontracted.
When an agreement could not be reached the community protested and removed the officially appointed service provider and R22 million later there is no sports complex though some of the building material was retained by the municipality.
The Interim Provincial Committee has not said a word concerning the Hawks cases as the officials involved in the malfeasance in municipalities are its deployees.
Leadership vacuum in the province.
If you have news and tips please email us at news@stepupsanews.co.za or WhatsApp 0685000246
2 thoughts on “There are at least 44 cases of corruption and fraud under investigation by Hawks in the Free State Province”