A former school governing body chairperson, Mafane Kenneth Lekala appeared in court alongside former SGB members Rantweu Simon Makweng and Ngwanamotsogana Rebecca Magaele after they were arrested on charges of fraud.
Image: Hawks
A former school governing body chairperson, Mafane Kenneth Lekala, 53, deputy chairperson, Rantweu Simon Makweng, 55, and a former member of the SGB school governing body deputy Ngwanamotsogana Rebecca Magaele, 45, have been arrested on charges of fraud.
The trio was arrested by the Polokwane Hawks' serious corruption investigation team.
“It is alleged that the former principal of Kwenatshwene Primary School based in Ngwaritsi Village, Nebo, had inspected a cheque book and discovered that some of the cheque book’s pages were missing without indication of where the money was paid to,” said Hawks spokesperson in Limpopo, Warrant Officer Wendy Nkabi.
“Furthermore an inspection was made by the former principal who discovered that several cheques were signed by Mr Lekala without the principal or the school’s financial officer’s knowledge.”
A former school governing body chairperson, Mafane Kenneth Lekala, alongside co-accused Ngwanamotsogana Rebecca Magaele and Rantweu Simon Makweng appeared in court after they were arrested by Hawks on charges of fraud.
Image: Hawks
The matter was reported to the Hawks for further investigation.
Nkabi stated that the Hawks’ investigation confirmed the allegations, revealing that fraud had been committed and the school had incurred a loss of R82,780. The accused trio was subsequently arrested on Tuesday.
Following their appearance before the Nebo Magistrates Court, the three were released on R10,000 bail each.
The matter was postponed to May 28 for further investigation.
Last year, Limpopo teacher, Mmakolobe Mathar Ramashala, pleaded guilty on charges of defrauding the provincial Department of Education of an amount of R918 000.
Image: Hawks
Last year, IOL reported that a Limpopo teacher, Mmakolobe Mathar Ramashala, pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding the provincial Department of Education of R918,000 when she appeared before the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
Ramashala was sentenced to a R100,000 fine or five years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years when she appeared in court.
“During April 2012, the Polokwane-based Specialised Investigating Unit (SIU) received a proclamation for the investigation of serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of unlawful conduct by the official of the Department of Education,” Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa said at the time.
“Between April 2010 and August 2012, Ramashala acted on the capacity of a director of her own company and rendered service to the department. As a result, she received payment amounting to R980,000 without authority or disclosing that she was doing remunerative work outside of public service.”
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL
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