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The forensic report by ARMS Audit, which was not made public has turned the tables on Netshidaulu and proved that his kidnapping was staged.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A forensic report has proved that a former executive in the Northern Lepelle Water (NLW) Board, Ahuiwi Netshidaulu, staged his kidnapping and caused the entity to incur fruitless expenditure of R304 000 after the board hired him bodyguards.

However, the NLW board did not lay any criminal charges against the former general manager for operations and maintenance following the revelations of his lies. The board only dismissed him for gross dishonesty.

The police also did not act when the report’s findings came to light in January 2022, and Netshidaulu is still a free man.

Netshidaulu claimed under oath that police kidnapped him in cahoots with a service provider, Matome Sefalafala of Falaz General Trading and Construction, in November 2020 to coerce him to pay the company R2.9 million that had been blocked because its contract was declared invalid in court.

Falaz General Trading and Construction had a R45 million waste management and disposal contract with the board at the time of the incident, but there was a court interdict against its contract.

Netshidaulu was acting chief executive officer when incumbent Phineus Legodi was suspended on allegations of fraud. The fraud charge could not pass the muster of the court and was dismissed. Legodi resigned from his job at the height of these allegations.

When approached for comment, Limpopo police said that the case was transferred to Gauteng a long time ago.

The forensic report by ARMS Audit, which was not made public has turned the tables on Netshidaulu and proved that his kidnapping was staged. The report recommends that the board discipline Netshidaulu for gross dishonesty.

The report found that Netshidaulu and Sefalafala had contact on social media and were video-recorded enjoying themselves in a club during the time of the alleged kidnapping on November 18 2020.

Under interrogation by the investigators, Netshidaulu also confirmed that he sat at the bid adjudication committee meeting when Falaz General Trading and Construction was was awarded the tender in July11 2018 and he did not recuse himself.

Despite Lepelle’s cashflow problems, the investigators found, Netshidaulu approved Falaz’s payment within 22 days while other service providers were not paid.

“We have concluded that Mr Netshiadulu and Mr Sefalafala have a relationship that enables them to meet outside the work environment on 18 November 2020 and such was not declared at LNW by Mr Sefalafala when he submitted the tender contract,” ARMS Audit, Advocate Boreka Motlanthe wrote.

The investigators further concluded that:

•    The audio conversation indicate that they are friends;
•    The video of the two at a club enjoying drinks as friends where there were no restraints or restriction of movement for Mr Netshidaulu;
•     Netshidaulu ensured that Falaz General Trading was paid ahead of other service providers contrary to LNW policies stipulating payment after 30 days;
•    The story of kidnapping was an afterthought to explain the payment of R2.9 million on November 18 2020 to the board.

“We have concluded that Mr Ahuiwi Netshidaula failed to disclose his close relationship with Mr Sefalafala/Falaz and this has resulted in him as general manager and acting chief executive officer acting in the interest of Falaz as service provider.”