Staff Reporter
Bloemfontein – The Office of the Premier in the Free State is once again in the spotlight, this time over explosive allegations of threats, recordings, and political infighting. What should be the province’s most respected office is fast resembling a battleground.
The storm follows a heated exchange between Lebona Lekoena of Insider Chronicle and Tshidi Setai, spokesperson for the Free State Provincial Government.
The confrontation centres on alleged defamation threats and counter-claims of secret recordings.
In text messages seen by this publication, Setai opens with a bold declaration:
“Evening Lebona, two things you need to know about me, I am neither a liar nor a thief and when I have meetings with people I don’t trust, I record such meetings…”
The message immediately sets a combative tone, one that suggests mistrust at the highest levels of provincial administration.
Setai then drags Setjhaba Maphalla into the fray, referencing a meeting that was allegedly diarised and held in her office.
“Indeed I told Setjhaba Maphalla about our meeting which was scheduled in my office’s diary, which took place in my office… fortunately there are witnesses that saw us leaving my office as I was seeing you out…”
She goes further, alleging that during that meeting, Lekoena admitted to attempting to sabotage last year’s Community Media Summit.
“It’s in that meeting where you told me the reason you tried to sabotage the Community Media Summit last year… It’s because you were angry as you were promised by Setjhaba that you were going to be given the opportunity to the summit at a budget of R3.5 million…”
The accusation does not end there.
“…and you also felt entitled because you helped kill the Patrick Phuti story…”
Setai maintains she acted to protect public funds.
“I responded by saying state coffers will never be looted under my watch, as I managed to turn that two-day summit under a million rand and it was well attended.”
But it is the closing message that has raised eyebrows.
“As I know how you operate, this message will go viral and I dare you to litigate defamation and we will meet in court.”
The statement reads less like a clarification and more like a warning a challenge thrown down in writing.
If recordings of official meetings do indeed exist, serious legal and ethical questions arise about consent, transparency and governance within the Office of the Premier.
In the famous words repeadly shared by Setshwana “Makhe” Chabeli, “Sethunya se fuwe ramaikake, o tlo thunya abe aithunye.”
For an office meant to embody stability and leadership, their unfolding drama paints a troubling picture.
The shadow over the province’s most senior office only appears to be growing darker.
Tomorrow we bring exclusive interview with Schalk Burger and Alta Pretorius about the disbandment of Ngwathe Local Municipality.
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