BLOEMFONTEIN – The waste tender fraud case pertaining to the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) involving two company directors is set to continue in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court, scheduled for 26 February. The directors are Moemedi Tswelopele Tennyson Seekoei of KB Squared PTY Ltd and Tsolofelo Innocent August of BK August PTY Ltd, who will reappear for pre-trial proceedings.
The matter has been ongoing since December 2024, after their arrest by the Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team. The pair were arrested based on prima facie evidence. They face charges including fraud, forgery, uttering and money laundering regarding a waste collection tender worth R2,7 million.
Seekoei and August are currently out on bail set at R10 000 each. The bail conditions include that they honour court schedules.
WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said an in-depth investigation was launched after information had been received about irregularities pertaining to the bidding and awarding of a tender for trade waste collection services for businesses around the metro.
The bid submissions reportedly included fraudulent documentations to bolster the suspects’ chances of winning the tender.
Matoti said the irregularities involved fraudulent roadworthy certificates, in addition to referral letters.
She said that subsequently, the accused companies were appointed to render trade waste collection services for businesses around the Mangaung Metro.
“The suspects allegedly submitted fraudulent roadworthy certificates for the trucks they were going to use.
In addition, they provided fraudulent referral letters while bidding for the tender. The Mangaung Metro then paid a joint amount of about R2,7 million for the services.”
The investigation suggested the vehicles were either never physically tested or were not in the condition claimed in the bid.
No specific municipal officials have been formally charged in this case.
It is understood the Hawks are currently pursuing the case as a criminal matter involving the two companies to recover the R2,7 million already paid to the directors.
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