The Municipal Manager of the Maquassi Hills Local Municipality, Thuli Mbonani, has vehemently denied any knowledge of criminal allegations against her.
Responding formally to a media enquiry from City Report on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, Mbonani characterised the claims as entirely baseless and highly defamatory.
The allegations reportedly tie the municipal administrative head to a substantial R10 million fuel irregularity scheme, alongside separate compliance concerns within the local government structure.
This comes after criminal charges were laid against Mbonani on Thursday, 20 August 2026 over widespread financial misconduct and a blatant failure to protect public funds.
The criminal cases were officially opened at the Wolmaransstad police station by Percy Mokgabi, the municipality’s erstwhile Director for Community Services.
Mokgabi’s affidavits cite severe violations of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), material dereliction of duty, and perjury against the top municipal official.
At the center of the criminal charges is the continuous, illegal remuneration of former councillor Sello Moraka. According to Mokgabi, Moraka was officially expelled by an Ad Hoc Committee in April 2026 after being found guilty of fraud.
The fraud involved Moraka falsely claiming residency in Maquassi Hills while living full-time in Rustenburg, where he is employed in the mining sector.
Despite being formally served with the expulsion verdict, Mbonani has allegedly continued to authorize Moraka’s monthly salary.
“We’ve got a Municipal Manager in the name of Thuli Judith Mbonani who is grossly failing in her responsibilities,” Mokgabi stated. “There is material dereliction of duties on her part, in gross violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA)… Moraka is enjoying a salary every month and illegally participating in fictitious meetings of the council in Maquassi Hills.”
Mbonani stated that she has had no previous contact or communication regarding any open case files. She made it clear that no representatives from the South African Police Service (SAPS) have visited her personal residence or office to take a warning statement or present official criminal charges.
Furthermore, she emphasized that no formal police dockets or charge sheets related to the alleged multi-million rand fuel fraud have been read or presented to her by law enforcement.
In light of the inquiry, the municipal manager has taken direct action to address the situation through formal channels. She has instructed her legal representatives to visit the Wolmaransstad SAPS station to probe the nature and validity of these claims.
Mbonani added that the initial media query failed to provide a Wolmaransstad Case Number, an omission she believes has hindered an efficient verification process.
Regarding the internal financial management of the Maquassi Hills Local Municipality, Mbonani clarified that disbursements and payments to individuals are strictly processed under proper procedural frameworks. She noted that these financial actions are guided by explicit internal mechanisms, valid court orders, or legally binding settlement agreements.
Moving forward, Mbonani intends to pursue rigorous legal avenues to protect her professional integrity.
She is consulting closely with her legal team to identify and hold accountable the parties responsible for distributing what she describes as false and malicious accusations. Legal proceedings will be initiated to bring those behind the defamatory claims to justice.
“To that end, I submit that this is my formal reply to the false allegations levelled against me and note that an update will be directed to your good self should there be development in the matter,” said Mbonani.Beyond the illegal councillor payments, Mbonani faces severe backlash for burying a forensic investigation that uncovered rampant corruption within the municipality’s fleet management system.
An independent probe conducted by Phambane Mokone Incorporated Attorneys flagged more than R7 million in highly irregular and fraudulent fuel card transactions between January 2022 and September 2023. Total fuel irregularities have since ballooned to an estimated R10 million.
The forensic investigation explicitly revealed that official municipal fuel cards were systematically abused to fill up the private vehicles of local councillors and their close associates.
While Mbonani allegedly failed to take decisive executive action, internal disciplinary hearings have already found several key officials guilty of the scam. Those implicated and disciplined include the then municipal Fleet Officer, the Acting Chief Financial Officer (who concurrently served as Asset Manager), a former Asset Accountant and a municipal Driver.
“There were people who were suspended, those people are back at work. But key to it, she failed to protect the public funds,” Mokgabi said.
Despite these internal findings, Mokgabi asserts that the Municipal Manager has criminally failed to fulfill her statutory obligations under the MFMA to recover the stolen public funds and ensure full legal accountability.
Mokgabi indicated that the forensic report explicitly cautioned Mbonani against utilizing a local Total garage as a primary procurement point for municipal diesel and fuel. Despite these clear warnings, Mbonani is allegedly continuing to bypass procurement protocols by using the facility.
Police investigations into the MFMA violations, perjury, and fraud charges are expected to commence swiftly in Wolmaransstad.
