R82,000 Stolen from School; SGB Members Arrested by Hawks in Limpopo

Three members of the Kwenatshwene Primary School governing body have been arrested. Authorities charged them for fraud after allegedly stealing R82,000 from the school. 

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• Hawks Investigate Fraud at Limpopo School

Mafane Kenneth Lekala, 53, former chairperson, Rantweu Simon Makweng, 55, former deputy chairperson, and Ngwanamotsogana Rebecca Magaele, 45, a former member, the acciswere apprehended by the Polokwane Hawks’ serious corruption investigation team.

The Investigation Uncovers Fraud at Kwenatshwene Primary School

Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Wendy Nkabi explained that the former principal of Kwenatshwene Primary School, located in Ngwaritsi Village, Nebo, found discrepancies during an inspection of the school’s cheque book.  The principal noticed that pages were missing and that there was no indication of where the money had been spent. Additionally, the principal found several cheques that Lekala signed without informing the principal or the school’s financial officer.

R82,000 Stolen from School and Fraud Confirmed

The Hawks’ investigation confirmed the allegations of fraud and revealed that the suspects stole a total of R82,780 from the school. The police arrested the three suspects on Tuesday, and they appeared before the Nebo Magistrates Court. The court granted them bail of R10,000 each, and they postponed the case to May 28 for further investigation.

Other Notable Fraud Case in Limpopo’s Education Sector

This arrest follows a similar case last year when Limpopo teacher Mmakolobe Mathar Ramashala pleaded guilty to defrauding the provincial Department of Education of R918,000. The court sentenced Ramashala to a R100,000 fine or five years’ imprisonment, which the court wholly suspended for five years. The Special Investigating Unit began its investigation into Ramashala’s actions in April 2012 and uncovered that she received payments without authorization while providing services to the department and working elsewhere.