The former head of the Northern Cape health department was among nine people who appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with alleged personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud amounting to R13.9-million, the Hawks have confirmed.
Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Tebogo Thebe said all nine suspects, including former acting accounting officer, Dr Dion Garvy Theys, were served with summons to appear in court.
They face charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering, and contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
“Accused number one is the former head of the department of health, who was the acting accounting officer during the commission of the crime, Dr Dion Garvy Theys [58],” Thebe said.
Out on R5 000 bail each
He further said Theys has been convicted in a different case.
“Theys was recently convicted on another matter of contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.”
According to the Hawks, the other accused are chief financial officer Daniel Gabarone (56), deputy director of finance Victor Nyokong (43) Montgomery Lifa (39), and Siyabulela Booi (53), both attached to the supply chain management section, as well as company director Donald Solani (51).
Solani’s company, Asijiki Soundbytes, has also been charged.
Thebe said the accused have been released on R5 000 bail each, and the case has been postponed to March 23, 2026.
R1.9-million tender
Meanwhile in Free State, the municipal manager of the Ngwathe local municipality, Dr Futhuli Mothamaha, has been arrested by the Hawks for alleged fraud, theft, money laundering, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
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 along with 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 Qwaqwa.
However, the company failed to deliver on its mandate.
READ MORE:Â Municipal manager arrested for alleged theft of electricity transformers worth R1.9m
