Cape Town - The former Dihlabeng mayor and a former municipal manager have appeared in court for allegedly defrauding R250 000 from the municipality in the form of back pay.
The former municipal manager Petrus Molatseli, 54, and former mayor Tseki James Tseki, 42, appeared before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of theft, fraud, corruption, money laundering, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
They are accused of defrauding the municipality of R250 000 that was paid fraudulently to Molatseli as back pay.
Molatseli was employed as a municipal manager, on a contract of 13 months, from July 2016 until July 31, 2017, and his contract was not renewed. He was paid his capped leave of 83 days.
"The municipality then appointed Lekgetho Mokgatlhe as the acting manager for four months and embarked on a recruitment process to appoint a municipal manager for four years," NPA regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said.
"Molatseli was again appointed as a municipal manager, with effect from December 1, 2017, for four years, and his employment contract was until January 30, 2021," Shuping said.
Shuping said that the State alleges that on December 14, 2021, Tseki, as the mayor, prepared and signed a memorandum for the payment of backpay of R250 000 that was paid to Molatseli.
The back pay was for four months, but during that period Mokgatlhe was acting as the municipal manager for the municipality.
The state alleges that Tseki and Molatseli worked in furtherance of a common purpose, to defraud the municipality.
They are facing a total of eight charges, and they were each released on bail of R5 000.
The case was postponed to August 10, 2023, for a transfer to the Regional Court.
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