BETHLEHEM – The fraud and corruption case centred around ghost workers involving two former senior officials of the Free State’s Dihlabeng Local Municipality, including a civilian, is set to continue in the Bethlehem Magistrates’ Court tomorrow – Tuesday, 19 August.
They are Seipati Mavis Mabula and Nkosi Patrice Mondi, who held the positions of director of corporate services and director of local economic development (LED), respectively, as well as Rerang Nchabane – a civilian fingered as an alleged “ghost worker.” They are currently out on bail of R5 000 each.
The trio have been appearing in court since March 2023, facing charges of fraud, theft, and contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. This followed their arrest by the Free State Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team following the discovery of alleged fraud which took place between January 2020 and December 2021. Probing revealed Nchabane as a ghost employee, who earned R12 000 a month as a contracted worker without ever reporting for duty.
This irregularity had been discovered during an internal audit process undertaken by the municipality. The municipality reportedly suffered losses exceeding R290 000 through fraudulent activities during the period in question.
According to the Hawks, Mondi – as the director of the LED unit at the time – allegedly instructed his subordinate to create an attendance register for the ghost employee. Nchabane was allegedly called in to sign the attendance registers for the duration of his “employment” within the municipality and so did Mabula, validating the contract as representative of the municipality.
