Image: 123RF
A company awarded a tender to supply, deliver and store illuminating paraffin in the North West allegedly bought a R1.4m vehicle for the council’s chief financial officer (CFO).
GMHM Construction and Projects was appointed by the City of Matlosana local municipality in 2021 to supply and transport paraffin to indigent households in the rural and unelectrified areas of the municipality for three years.
The contract is still active, according to the Hawks.
On Wednesday, the CFO of the municipality, Mercy Phetla, 38, was arrested alongside employees of GMHM Construction and Projects – Matshepiso Mothelesane, 39, and Nomthandazo Mokasule, 49.
According to the Hawks, the company allegedly bought a VW Amarok for Phetla in June 2022.
Hawks spokesperson W/O Amogelang Malwetse said the trio handed themselves over to the Klerksdorp-based Hawks’ Serious Corruption unit on Wednesday.
They appeared in the Klerksdorp magistrate’s court on the same day facing charges of corruption and were released on R35,000 bail each. The matter was postponed to March 1 for further investigation.
“They have been ordered to hand their passports to the investigating officers and all documents relating to GMHM to be immediately removed from the CFO,” Malwetse said.
Asked what linked the service provider to the vehicle in question, Malwetse said: “The case is still new, for now I am not in a position to divulge more information.”
On Thursday, the Matlosana municipality said it would follow the developments with ”keen interest”.
“The city hereby wishes to assure the residents and the business community that they remain committed to the fight against corruption and the pursuit of clean municipal governance free from corruption,” spokesperson Ntswaki Makgetha said.
“The municipality calls upon all for calmness and to exercise caution on the circling of social media snippets as some contain elements of misinformation which could create false impressions and negative public perceptions about the municipality.”
GMHM Construction and Projects could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The company’s cell number found on the internet was called several times but nobody answered nor returned Sowetan’s text messages.
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