Former Bushbuckridge official in court for corruption
Petunia Pheeha, former director of water services at the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, and two others appeared in the Mbombela Commercial Crimes Court today on several counts of corruption, money laundering and theft.
Pheeha and her co-accused, Admission Amukelani Phoku and Sibusiso Shadrack Dube, were arrested in November by the Hawks.
It is alleged that Pheeha acquired the sole ownership of a service provider to the municipality, Nomabiza Trading Enterprises, in 2011. She put the company in the name of her aunt, Phoku. Thereafter, Pheeha awarded Nomabiza multiple municipal contracts.
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Pheeha never disclosed her interests in Nomabiza to the municipality, despite the fact that she was directly responsible for contracting and paying the companies.
The case has been postponed to June 30 in order for the defence to gather further evidence. The bail, set between R10 000 and R20 000, was extended. The case is expected to go to trial only in September.
