BETHLEHEM – After a thorough investigation by the Hawks, a “ghost employee” of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality was found guilty of fraud on Thursday, 22 January.
Reitumetse Moeng (28) appeared before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court, where she was found guilty and sentenced for fraud relating to a salary that she was paid despite not showing up for work.
Moeng’s conviction stems from a discovery made in 2021 at Dihlabeng Local Municipality about the existence of “ghost employees” who were receiving monthly salaries despite not working.
The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation in Bethlehem.
A thorough investigation revealed that Moeng was one of the individuals fraudulently receiving a monthly salary from the municipality between May 2021 and January 2022. She was arrested on 14 July 2025 and later released on bail. Moeng made several court appearances until the matter was postponed to 22 January for verdict.
The court sentenced Moeng to three years imprisonment, wholly suspended on condition that she repays an amount of R84 598.22 to the Dihlabeng Local Municipality.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Free State, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, commended the investigating officer for conducting an outstanding investigation.
