LIMPOPO – The Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court has granted bail of R50 000 each to four individuals accused of fraud and corruption related to a 2015 incident at the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. The case has been postponed to December 5.

The arrests follow an investigation by the Hawks in Phalaborwa. On Tuesday, October 14, the Hawks arrested Dr Setimela Samson Sebashe (58), who was the acting municipal manager of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality at the time the alleged offences took place.

Sebashe, now employed as the director of Corporate Services at Maruleng Local Municipality in Hoedspruit, was arrested at his workplace.

According to Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, spokesperson for the Limpopo Hawks, the case dates back to July 2015 when Sebashe allegedly approved the appointment of a company to assist with monitoring and restoring power following a major outage in Ba-Phalaborwa.

The appointment, however, was made without following the necessary procurement procedures. As a result, the municipality suffered a financial loss of over R770 000.

The matter was reported and referred to the Hawks, which led to the arrest of Sebashe and, shortly thereafter, three other suspects.

They include Andrew Advise Sekgobela, who served as the service provider; Kgothatso Pleasure Mashile, who acted as the project manager; and Khathutshelo Khato Mpharalala, who was the director of technical services at the time.

All four appeared in court on Thursday, October 16, and were granted bail. Their release comes as investigations continue, and the court prepares to hear more evidence in December.

In response to the arrests, Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality spokesperson Jonas Mahesu said he could not comment, as the matter is now before the courts.

Meanwhile, Maruleng Municipality issued a public statement addressing concerns over Sebashe’s current position. Justice Shipalana, the municipality’s spokesperson, said the arrest has been noted and assured the community and businesses that service delivery will continue without disruption.

He further emphasised that the municipality remains committed to its mandate and to maintaining high standards of accountability, transparency, and integrity.

Shipalana added that the municipality respects the legal process and will not provide any further comments while the matter is still before the court.