Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
Former Mogalakwena mayor Andrina Matsemela was amongst the 13 people arrested by the Hawks in Mokopane on Monday morning.
Spokesperson for Hawks in Limpopo, Matimba Maluleke said this was part of the ongoing investigation into the allegations of corruption at the Mogalakwena Municipality.
“Among the suspects arrested by Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, are 13 suspects including senior officials, company directors and 11 companies at the Mogalakwena Municipal offices,” Maluleke said.
Matsemela, her political management team, and the executive council members were axed by the party’s provincial leadership in December last year.
It is alleged that the officials received gratification from service providers and other companies were paid money for services that were not delivered.
The Municipality has suffered a loss of over R15 million due to tender irregularities.
During the operation, a BMW 1 Series belonging to the girlfriend of one of the suspects was seized as an affected gift.
The municipality in Mokopane has been in the news for all the wrong reasons and has had six mayors in less than 10 years.
Esther Mothibi resigned as mayor in 2012, making way for Thlalefi Mashamaite who was sacked two years later after being implicated in a forensic report for allegedly misusing R1 million budgeted for an army of bodyguards to the mayor’s office. He was succeeded by Malose Mabuela who was voted out in less than a year. Mashamaite was reinstated but again axed within six months and Parks Sebatjane was appointed mayor in 2015. Sebatjane was removed after the election in 2016 and replaced by Andrina Matsemela.
Maluleke said the operation is still ongoing and more arrests are expected.
This is a developing story.
