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Godfey Mahlatsi is facing 44 counts of contravention of the PFMA. He allegedly failed to prevent unauthorised, irregular, and or fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Free State premier, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, has demoted a department of health HOD who is embroiled in an on-going R8.7 million criminal trial.

Calls for the suspension of Godfrey Mahlatsi pending the finalisation of fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) trial have been falling on deaf ears since 2021 when he was first charged alongside 20 suspects that included six companies, seven directors and 13 civil servants including Mahlatsi who handed himself over to the police at that time.

Free State government spokesperson, Setjhaba Maphala, however said that Letsoha-Mathe has “reassigned” Mahlatsi to be provincial accountant general. He could not saying if the premier’s decision was influenced by the case hovering over Mahlatsi head.

“The premier recently instigated a process to re-assign heads of departments (HoDs). As such, as part of this process, Mr Godfrey Mahlatsi, will be reassigned to assume his new responsibilities as provincial accountant general effective 18 November 2024,” Maphala said.

He said that Mahlatsi would report to an HOD.

Mahlatsi is among 13 civil servants, six company directors and companies still waiting for their fate on the charges.

The allegations relate payment that the department made to companies from 2011 to 2015 under the pretext that they had provided training.

On November 8, Johnson Gerald Similo (47) and his company, Siphilile Investments (Pty) Ltd, were found guilty in the Free State High Court. Similo was sentenced to five years suspended for five years on condition that he is not found committing fraud and money laundering during that period.

The company was fined R200 000, also wholly suspended for five years.

Letsoha-Mathae’s predecessors had been indifferent to outcries when Mahlatsi was not suspended after he was charged.

Maphala said he would check with the government’s legal department why Mahlatsi was not suspended.

Mahlatsi is facing 44 counts of contravention of the PFMA. He allegedly failed to prevent unauthorised, irregular, and or fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Shortly after Mahlatsi had handed himself over to the police, the National Prosecuting Authority said that he had failed to take necessary steps against responsible officials even after the auditor general had notified the department that the transactions were against the law.

The rest of the suspects are still on trial. They included former departmental head, Dr David Motau. Motau has since been fired from his post as the registrar or chief executive of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a result of the criminal charges.

Motau joined the Free State Health Department in 2013. He resigned in June 2021 when he took up the post of registrar of the HPCSA but his stay was short-lived when the Hawks pounced on him.

The Hawks launched an investigation after an auditor-general’s 2015 report highlighted irregularities. The report indicated that fraudulent payments worth R8.7 million were made to service providers but they did offer the training services they were paid for.

The other accuseds in the matter are David Motau, Motsumi Polori, Sarah Legobate, Gloria Gogo, John Chakane, Limakatso Mabitle, Hazel Ncukana, Colleen Kala, Jack Letlojane, Tsietsi Polori, Simon Johnson, Thabo Moeti, Victor Kwababa, Simon Njonga, Lebohang Beqezi and Charity Moloi.”

The other companies  are Tsa Rona Consultancy, Siphilile Investments, Azrago, Land Breeze Trading 623, Akholwa Consultancy Training and Zen Communications.