BETHLEHEM – The fraud case against the remaining three accused implicated in a “ghost workers scheme” at the Dihlabeng Local Municipality is currently undergoing a pivotal hearing in the Bethlehem Magistrates Court. Proceedings will end on Friday, 6 having started yesterday – Wednesday.
The accused include two former officials, Seipati Mavis Mabula, Nkosi Patrice Mondi, and civilian Rerang Nchabane. Mabula and Mondi held the positions of director of corporate services and director of local economic development (LED), respectively. They are facing charges of fraud, theft and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The trio’s appearance followed their arrest by the Bethlehem Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team after full-scale investigations discovered the fraud scheme. Arrested in March 2023, they were granted R5 000 bail each. The accused allegedly colluded by orchestrating a “ghost workers scheme” where each person played a specific role to facilitate the fraud.
The discovery of the fraud scheme was made in 2021 at the municipality. The investigations found that Mondi allegedly instructed a subordinate to create fraudulent attendance registers for Nchabane, making it appear that he was reporting for duty when he was not. Mabula (then-Director of Corporate Services and acting municipal manager) was allegedly present when Mondi gave these instructions. She then reportedly used her official capacity to sign the contract for Nchabane, validating his status as a municipal employee.
Nchabane was allegedly called in to falsify signatures on these attendance registers during internal audit processes to cover up the fact that he was receiving a monthly salary of approximately R12,083.33 as a “contracted worker” between January 2020 and December 2021 without ever reporting for duty.
The municipality reportedly suffered total financial losses exceeding R290,000 due to this coordinated fraud scheme the period in question. Both Mabula and Mondi are currently not employed by the municipality, as their contracts lapsed prior to their arrests.
One accused person found guilty was sentenced recently in January. Reitumetse Moeng was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years. Her sentence was wholly suspended for five years, provided she repays R84, 598.22 to the Dihlabeng Local Municipality and is not convicted of a similar fraud offense during that time.
