The municipal manager of the Ngwathe local municipality in Free State has been arrested by the Hawks for alleged fraud, theft, money laundering and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
Dr Futhuli Mothamaha, who is the former municipal manager of the broke Maluti-A-Phofung local municipality that services the communities of Qwaqwa, Kestell and Harrismith, was arrested on Tuesday alongside his accomplice and businessman Lelokonyane Letseng of Lesedi Khanya Energy.
According to the Hawks spokesperson in Free State, Lt-Col Zweli Moholobeli, Letseng’s company, Lesedi Khanya Energy, was awarded a tender worth R1.9-million by Maluti-A-Phofung in 2021 to install transformers in the area of Qwaqwa. However, the company had failed to deliver on its mandate.
Tender awarded, no service delivered
“In 2021, the company was awarded a tender worth R1,9-million to install transformers in the Maluti-A-Phofung. However, the transformers were never delivered. It later emerged that Letseng had submitted a R1,9-million invoice, which was authorised by Mothamaha.
“The municipality made the payment and thereby suffered a loss. The suspects were arrested on a warrant on 18 November 2025. They have already appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court, where they were each granted R10, 000 bail. The matter was postponed to 22 January 2026,” said Moholobeli.
Mothamaha is not a stranger when it comes to arrests related to cases of fraud, corruption, uttering and forgery. He was thrown into jail in 2022 while he was the municipal manager of Maluti-A-Phofung in the case related to a R58-million security contract awarded to the company called Kill Crime Security Services, based in Phuthaditjhaba in Qwaqwa.
Prior offences
At that time, Mothamaha was arrested for authorising a project and awarded Kill Crime a tender worth R58-million. This was despite no tender advertisement being published for bidders.
Mothamaha was released on bail of R500, 000 cash in September 2022. His co-accused who are also directors of Kill Crime, Thabiso Sekosana and Dimakatso Sekosana, were given bail of R150, 000 bail each.
The case was mysteriously thrown out of court. And Mothamaha and his co-accused were let scott free.
At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, Mothamaha had been a municipal manager of Ngwathe since August 2024. Prior to this he was acting in the same position from May 2024.
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