FORMER HEALTH HOD AND HER CO-ACCUSED APPEAR IN COURT FOR FRAUD AND CONTRAVENTION OF PFMA
The Molopo Magistrates’ Court postponed the case against Lydia Keneilwe Sebego (63), former Head of Department at the North West Department of Health, Vuyo Mbulawa (54), Chief Director at the North West Department of Health, and Roulgh Lotwane Mabe (69), a service provider, to 31 January 2024 for the tracing of the remaining suspects. The court granted Sebego R10 000 bail, Mbulawa R20 000 and Mabe R100 000. The trio were warned not to have any direct or indirect contact with the state’s witnesses and complainants. They were further instructed to alert the investigating officer of any travel that they will undertake and the period thereof.
Members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation and Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Units arrested the trio on Thursday, 28 September 2023 in Mahikeng. Sebego is facing two charges of Contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Mbulawa is facing ten charges of fraud and Mabe is charged with six counts of fraud. During the years 2008 to 2009 the North West sought to build two hospitals in Ledig [Moses Kotane Hospital] and Vryburg [Joe Morolong Hospital]. A tender was subsequently awarded to the company MR Property (Pty)Ltd, belonging to Mabe, as well as another company belonging to another suspect who is yet to be arrested.
Service Level Agreements were signed between the two companies and their directors on services that needed to be rendered to the two hospitals. The said services were however not rendered, while these companies allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices which were paid by the department after being authorised by Mbulawa. This allegedly led to a loss of over R86 million to the Department of Health. The state’s evidence further reveals that Sebego signed the Service Level Agreements while she knew that the two companies were not compliant and did not meet the requirements.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, together with the Provincial Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Patrick Mbotho welcome the arrest and court appearance of the suspects. They affirmed the commitment of their respective entities in facing corruption head-on, to safeguard the funds that are meant for community development.
