A North West Department of Education deputy director, Mr Thabo Sejanamane, has been acquitted of allegations of fraud and impersonation more than two years after his first court appearance in the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court on 6 June 2024.

On 25 August 2026, Magistrate Charles Eckley acquitted Sejanamane, citing a lack of intent to commit fraud.

“This matter dragged on for two years… This was a shocking display of how a matter should not be handled. Criminal courts are suited to deal with criminal matters – not family [matters],” Eckley said.

All the events that occurred from 2019 to 2026 is part of one case.

Sejanamane is a deputy director in the Minimum Information Security Services (MISS) Directorate within the North West Department of Education and a Minister at the Methodist Church in Potchefstroom.

He contacted the Potchefstroom Herald to clear his name, referring to a previous article, “Education department director charged with fraud”, which the Herald published online on 6 June 2024.

According to a media statement from Sejanamane’s lawyer, mr. André de Villiers of André de Villiers and Associates Attorneys, his client faced charges of forgery and uttering in 2019.

“This was in relation to documents submitted when he traded in a Chevrolet Cruze motor vehicle which belonged to the parties’ joint estate at a local dealership, for another vehicle.”

“The value of the Chevrolet Cruze motor vehicle was set by the dealership at R25 000 as the vehicle had known mechanical problems, having had over 300 000 km on its odometer,” De Villiers added.

The value of the vehicle was subsequently transferred towards the acquisition of another vehicle, which also belonged to the parties’ joint estate.

Sejanamane and his now ex-wife, Dr Carol Letshabo (previously Sejanamane), divorced on 26 October 2022 after protracted divorce proceedings spanning more than three years. The divorce court order included the appointment of a liquidator to finalise the division of the parties’ marital assets, including all motor vehicles and any associated values.

According to exhibits in the police docket, SAPS senior investigators Dirk Badenhorst and Jean Nieman, in 2019 and 2022 respectively, both indicated that the matter was a matrimonial dispute and that no criminal case existed.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) initially decided in 2019 not to proceed with the matter.

“Despite copious legal representations to the local, provincial and national arms of the NPA, it was decided to proceed with prosecution,” De Villiers added.

The Herald contacted Dr Letshabo for comment regarding her ex-husband’s acquittal. She explained to the Herald that Mr. Sejanamane had traded in her Chevrolet Cruze in 2019 without her knowledge and had allegedly forged documentation.  She stated that the state prosecutor is busy with the appeal process.

According to De Villiers, he has not yet received notification of the appeal proceedings and, in any event, does not believe that the appeal has good prospects of success.