After Free State premier last week ordered the immediate removal of convicted fraudster Zongezile Adam Zumane as a chief executive of a provincial hospital, Sunday World can reveal that Zumane is apparently continuing with his formal duties.
A week after the Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae ordered him to vacate the position with immediate effect, Zumane was still calling the shots. This was evident when he disciplined a Sinorita Nhlabathi District Hospital employee on Monday.
In a letter with the provincial health department’s letterhead, Zumane signed a letter issuing a written warning to an employee this week on March 2.
Zumane’s warning letter was leaked to Sunday World after Letsoha-Mathae and the provincial director-general, Dr Molefinyane Phera, told the media that he had been removed from the powerful position as CEO of the Ladybrand-based hospital.
Following an explosive Sunday World article that revealed that Zumane was appointed despite his criminal conviction, last week on February 23, the Free State government provincial spokesperson Matshediso Setai issued a media statement announcing his removal from office pending an investigation.
Fraud conviction
In 2012, Zumane, a former Mangaung municipality speaker, and six others were found guilty of fraud and money laundering after more than R170-million was looted from the Bloemfontein local government.
Zumane was convicted of defrauding the municipality of R5-million and received an eight-year prison sentence in 2012. However, he spent only three years at Grootvlei Prison in Bloemfontein and was then released on parole.
Removal order
In her statement last week, Setai said that the premier had ordered the removal of the hospital CEO with immediate effect.
Letsoha-Mathae also ordered that there should be investigations conducted to determine on how Zumane was appointed, and that came after the same premier had defended the appointment of the convicted fraudster when she spoke to Sunday World two weeks ago.
“We, therefore, wish to set the record straight regarding the appointment of Mr Zumane. Mr Zumane was appointed on 1 April 2019 as a Clinical Programme Coordinator at Winburg District Hospital after disclosing his previous criminal record. He occupied this position until his recent appointment in June 2025. He applied for the position of CEO at Senyoritha Ntlabathi (sic) District Hospital at the deputy director level and was the successful candidate for the post.
“Although we believe that Mr Zumane met the requirements for appointment as CEO, our preliminary internal investigations have raised concerns and given credence to public disquiet regarding his previous conviction. Mr Zumane has been directed to perform other functions with immediate effect, in terms of Regulation 63 of the Public Service, to allow for a detailed investigation to be conducted,” said Setai in the media statement.
Phera, who is Setai’s boss, also reiterated the same during his interview on the Newzroom Afrika news channel that Zumane was removed and that preliminary investigations were to be conducted on how he got the position.
Zumane disciplines staff
However, on Monday, Zumane gave one of the hospital employees a written warning in the letter he signed off in his capacity as Senorita Ntlabathi District Hospital CEO.
He told the employee, whose name is known to Sunday World, that the warning was being issued after the official was charged for gross negligence while on duty.
“The written warning will be placed on your personal file and will remain valid for a period of six months from the date of the written warning. After six months, the written warning will be removed from your personal file and be destroyed,” wrote Zumane.
He also informed the official that if the written warning was objected to, the senior manager should write to the provincial health MEC, Viceroy Mahlatsi, within five days to object to the content of the warning letter.
‘It’s my job’
When approached for comment, Zumane said that it was his job to issue warnings to the staff.
“It is my job to do so, and I would request you to speak to Bophelo House [Free State Health Department Headquarters in Bloemfontein],” said Zumane.
Spokesperson for the department of health in the province, Mondli Mvambi had not responded to Sunday World questions by the time of publication.
Setai referred us to Setjhaba Maphalla, whom she said was acting in her position, citing that she was away on work commitments.
Free State government acting spokesperson Setjhaba Maphalla said that on February 22, Zumane was consulted and instructed to immediately take on other responsibilities.
“The process to formally assign him to these new duties was completed on 3 March 2026, following the proper procedures. As a result, we are advised by the department of Health that Mr Zumane no longer holds the position of CEO at Senorita Nhlabathi Hospital.
“An individual has been appointed to serve in an acting capacity, however, the department is awaiting acceptance by the official. Meanwhile, the Head of Department at Health has commissioned a team to investigate Mr. Zumane’s appointments of 2019 and 2025,” said Maphalla.
