Staff Reporter
Bloemfontein – The Free State Gambling, Liquor and Tourism Authority (FSGLTA) has squandered R5 million on acting allowances, with key positions remaining vacant years later.
This comes as board members continue to attend seemingly endless meetings, racking up R4 million in costs and raising serious questions about what exactly is being deliberated in committee meetings when these supposedly capable individuals cannot even fill mete positions.
FSGLTA has been without a permanent Chief Executive Officer since 1 April 2025, when the one-year contract extension of Kenny Dichabe came to an end.
The position was advertised, but the authority has continued to rely on acting appointments.
Below are positions occupied by actors:
Chief Executive Manager
HR Manager
Compliance manager
Fraud and Risk Manager
General Manager Operations
Supervisor Licensing
4 X Area Leaders
Tourism Manager
Gaming Control Manager
ICT Manager
Internal Audit Manager
All these positions are critical.
Board cooked
On 17 April 2024, the board took a decision to place…….., at a time when the newly appointed board had been in office for only five months.
The board failed to appreciate that it was not the appointing authority and therefore lacked the power to suspend the CEO or institute disciplinary proceedings against him.
Dichabe took the matter to court and won.
FSGLTA has lost almost all its court battles, with its legal bill now standing at a staggering R16 million.
The board remains in office, and so are the managers responsible for the mess.
Meanwhile, a criminal case currently being investigated by the Hawks is unfolding, while the risk manager who reported the wrongdoing has been axed.
He was charged with possessing eight files without authorisation, but that, according to allegations surrounding the matter, was not the real reason.
Instead, he was targeted for reporting the corruption to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Below is a picture the alleged licence issues regularly.
He may have lost his job, but the saga is far from over.
He may have lost his job, but others could soon find themselves behind bars!
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