Education Department dubbed to pay R470 000 with a forged letter

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – The Department of Education in Free State is again in the spotlight after paying Toyama Holdings (R190 000) and Ya Batho FS Productions (R280 000) after processing a forged letter.

This follows an article we published last week in which we reported the office of the Premier begging Department of Education for funding.

Premier’s office beg Education for funding

STEPUPSANEWS can confirm the letter in question is not fake, it’s real but forged as Dr Mafole Mokalobe didn’t write the letter and his acting has ended on the 31 August 2025.

According to sources with intimate knowledge the request for funding was done without the knowledge and blessing of Dr Mokalobe, Dr Solomon Phera and Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae, Free State Premier.

Processing of that letter has exposed the department of Education and it’s officials in their failure to do due diligence.

A simple call Dr Mokalobe would have blocked this.

No effort was made to verify the contents of the letter with the supposed “author” and no supporting documents such as a signed submission and acting letter.

This is pure financial misconduct that begs one to think had we not reported this, chances are this would have have been a smooth transaction.

With Office of The Premier having rejected all submissions related to the colloquiam, clearly no procurement process has taken place so who picked these two companies?

Will there be consequences management?

Advocate Humphrey Malakoane, Head of Department at Free State Education did not respond to our questions.

Below are questions we sent:

1. The manner is which that letter ended in your office, is that a normal way?
2. ⁠Before signing it, did you read the letter?
   3.. Did you verify the contents of the letter with Dr Mafole Mokalobe?
3. ⁠Should it be established Dr Mokalobe did not author the letter would a reasonable person be wrong to think you approved a forged letter and therefore an accessory to fraud more so as it involves money?
4. ⁠Did you at least know FSPG does not have acting DG as Dr Mokalobe’s acting ended on 31 August 2025?
5. ⁠Was there any due diligence done by your office?
6. ⁠In terms of governance, that letter should have been accompanied by a) submission & b) acting letter. Did the letter have them?

This is a developing story.

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