North West municipality staffer in hot water over fraud allegations

A manager in the office of the mayor at Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality in the North West faces suspension following allegations of fraud after a service provider was paid R29 700 without having rendered any service to the municipality.

“The office of the mayor has learnt of serious financial misconduct through social media and informed the acting municipal manager to investigate the allegation.

“The matter is being handled internally by the office of the accounting officer, who has initiated an investigation as a matter of urgency and a detailed report will be issued in due course,” said the North West municipality spokesperson Dirontsho Sebego.

Suspension

A letter from the acting municipal manager, Ramojakgomo Mojapelo, dated 5 May, cautioned Itumeleng Mokoena he would be put on precautionary suspension if he did not provide reasons why he should not be.

“I have established there is a serious alleged act of misconduct which has made me consider placing you on precautionary suspension pending investigation,” the letter read.

According to Mojapelo, Mokoena is alleged to have approved an invoice for R29 700 to an event management company without adhering to required procedure.

The owner of the company, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, confirmed that about R29 700 was deposited into her old business account.

“A lady who introduced herself as Lesedi Moiloa from the office of the mayor kept calling me asking me to check the bank balance.

“I kept telling her there was no money in the bank account. I was advised to go to the bank and inquire. I found they had used my old banking details to send the money for work that I have not done,” the owner said.

Mokoena said: “On hearing these allegations, I went to the payment unit to request information about the company.

I then contacted the service provider who refused to answer as to when they delivered the service, but the service provider was claiming she delivered the service and I should ask Lesedi Moiloa about everything regarding the service.

“The service provider then blocked my numbers. I also reported the matter to the chief financial officer and acting municipal manager last week.”

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Quotation

The company owner said she was asked to do a quotation to ferry people from eight wards/ villages to Zeerust town hall for a mayoral imbizo.

The quotation in possession of The Citizen is dated 1 March and is for R22 500. The company owner confirmed she was not appointed to provide transport or any services to the municipality.

“The bank helped me transfer the payment by the municipality from the old bank account to the new one. The official from the mayor’s office then asked me to withdraw the money and give her R28 400 while I was to get R1 300 for bank charges.

“I was so traumatised and panicked when I went to seek advice from people. I run a small company so I cannot tarnish a small brand that I am building because I already have a few clients like the department of public works, as well as home affairs, who call me to cater when they have events.

“I refused to be implicated in a corrupt deal,” the owner said. In the circulating voice notes allegedly belonging to an official from the mayor’s office, a woman says the company owner should lie to municipal officials and tell them she rendered a service during a mayoral imbizo.

“I want you to come to the municipality and lie to them, tell them you provided fruit during the event. But do not go there alone, take me with you,” the voice note said.

“Hasn’t anything got into the bank even now?” Asked if it was her in the voice note, Moiloa said: “I think what you are doing amounts to harassment.

I don’t know what you want from me. You are referring to me by name, Lesedi, I do not know where you get my name from. Stop this.”

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