R770,000 paid for nothing: Municipal fraud accused released on R50,000 bail each
The Hawks in Limpopo have made further progress in a long-running fraud and corruption investigation involving the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality, with four suspects, including a senior former municipal official, appearing in court this week.
The accused, Setimela Samson Sebashe, former acting municipal manager at Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, Andrew Advise Sekgobela, a service provider, Thakgatso Pleasure Mashile, project manager, and Khathutshelo Khato Mpharalala, director of technical services, appeared before the Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 16 October 2025.
They were each granted bail of R50,000, and the matter was postponed to 5 December 2025 for further investigation.
The arrests stem from a Hawks probe into alleged fraud and corruption involving more than R770,000 at the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality.
According to provincial Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, preliminary investigations revealed that during July 2015, Sebashe, who was then serving as acting municipal manager, took a decision to appoint a private company to assist with monitoring and restoring electricity supply after a major power outage in the area.
However, the appointment was allegedly made without following proper procurement processes.
“A few days later, the company submitted several claims without rendering any services to the municipality, and all those claims were processed and paid,” said Mmuroa.
As a result, the municipality suffered a financial loss of more than R770,000.
The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit based in Phalaborwa, which launched an extensive probe that led to the arrest of the suspects earlier this week.
Mmuroa said more arrests could still follow as investigations continue.
Provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Gopz Govender, commended the investigating team for its dedication and commitment to rooting out corruption in local government.
“The Hawks remain committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring that those who abuse public resources are brought to justice,” Govender said.
The four accused are expected to return to the Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court on 5 December 2025.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News