The Free State Serious Commercial Crime Investigation detectives of the Hawks have arrested the municipal manager of the Ngwathe Local Municipality, Dr Futhuli Patrick Mothamaha for alleged fraud, theft, money laundering, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act relating to electricity transformers.
The Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli confirmed that Mothamaha and director of Lesedi Khanya Energy, Lelokonyane Isak Letseng were arrested on a warrant on Tuesday 18 November 2025.
Lesedi Khanya Energy was awarded a tender worth R1.9 million to install transformers in the area of Qwaqwa in the Free State.
Mothamaha, who is the former municipal manager of the struggling Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality, is accused of authorising an invoice worth more than R1 million.
“In 2021, the company was awarded a tender worth R1,9 million to install transformers in the Maluti-A-Phofung. However, the transformers were never delivered.
“It later emerged that Letseng had submitted a R1,9 million invoice which was authorised by Mothamaha. The municipality made the payment and thereby suffered a loss,” said Moholobeli.
The suspects have already appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrates Court where they were each granted R10 000 bail.
The matter was postponed to 22 January 2026.
Media reports indicate that Mothamaha has been arrested for corruption and fraud in 2022 while he was the municipal manager of Maluti-A-Phofung in the case linked to a R58-million security contract awarded to the company called Kill Crime Security Services. He was later released on bail of R500, 000 cash in September 2022.
His co-accused who are also directors of Kill Crime, Thabiso Sekosana and Dimakatso Sekosana, were given bail of R150, 000 bail each.
At the time of publishing this article, City Report could not get any response from Mothamaha.
