Free State education, head of department, Advocate Tsoarelo Malakoane and the municipal manager of Nketoane local municipality, Monyane Sefantsi, are two of the high profile suspects arrested in relation to the Winnie Mandela Museum fraud case.
Former municipal manager of Lejweleputswa district municipality Nontsikelelo Aaron former director of supply chain management in the Free State department of sports, arts and culture, Aubrey Sebeela and two businessmen Errens Lodewikus Celliers and Sithiwe Thubane were also arrested on Tuesday.
They appeared in the Welkom Magistrates Court on Wednesday and Malakoane, Sefantsi, Seebela and Thubane were granted R20 000 bail each, while Cilliers is out on R10 000 and Aaron is on R3000 bail.
Their arrests follows a sting operation by the Hawks in Bloemfontein, Welkom, ThabaNchu and Pretoria on Tuesday morning.
The group is suspected of allegedly siphoning about R1-million earmarked for the refurbishment and renovations at the house that belonged to the late ANC stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
The funds, which came from the department of sports, arts and culture in the province, were allocated to the Brandfort Museum project that sought to turn Madikizela-Mandela’s house into a museum.
Free State Hawks spokesperson, Captain Christopher Singo, said: “It is alleged that during the period of January 2008 until December 2010, money was allocated to the Brandfort Museum project, popularly known as the Winnie Mandela Museum, by the department of sports, arts and culture.
“The money was then misused and the service providers were appointed without following the proper procurement processes. The project was coordinated by the department and the Lejweleputswa district municipality. As a result of these fraudulent activities, the department suffered a total loss of more than R700 000.”
Singo said among those arrested is former head of department and two former municipal managers of the municipality, including the municipal’s director of supply chain.
Sunday World understands that some of the suspects, who are on the run, include the directors of companies irregularly appointed to work on the project.
Singo said more than R700 000 was unaccounted for and those arrested, including the four on the run, had erratically misappropriated the funds and failed to adhere to the Public Management Finance Act (PFMA).
Madikizela-Mandela, who died aged 81 in 2018, was banished to Brandfort in 1977 by the apartheid regime in an attempt to suppress her political activities and to isolate her from the people.
The case has been postponed to 11 November.
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