Chiefs boss on R143m fraud charge

Kaizer Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung and a fellow Lefika Emerging Equity (Pty) Ltd executive were arrested for allegedly submitting false documents to secure a tender for the Mbombela World Cup stadium. They were due to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court.

Kaizer Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung and a fellow Lefika Emerging Equity (Pty) Ltd executive were arrested for allegedly submitting false documents to secure a tender for the Mbombela World Cup stadium. They were due to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court.

Published Aug 16, 2012

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Kaizer Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung and his co-accused were granted R50 000 bail each in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Motaung and his co-director at Lefika Emerging Equity (Pty) Ltd, Herbert Theledi, looked relaxed as they approached the dock to appear on fraud and theft charges.

A third Lefika director, Chris Grib, was not with them.

Motaung looked back at the packed public gallery and started a conversation with a man wearing a yellow and black Kaizer Chiefs jersey. None of his family members, including his father, Kaizer Chiefs founder Kaizer Motaung, were seen.

When the case was eventually called, the charges read to Motaung and Theledi were one count of fraud of R143 million and a second count of fraud or alternatively theft of R1m. Both charges relate to the Mbombela Stadium tender saga.

Theledi said he could pay R50 000 bail, which the State did not oppose.

Bail was granted and the case was postponed until October 15.

Club spokesman Vina Maphosa said earlier: “The matter has got nothing to do with Kaizer Chiefs but [is] Bobby’s private business.”

Asked how the club could distance itself from the matter when Bobby was not only the club manager for football, but the founder’s son, Maphosa said he had “no mandate or directive to comment on father-to-son issues”.

Jessica Motaung, the club’s marketing director and Bobby’s sister, did not answer her phone on Thursday.

Motaung is known to have strained relations with his sisters, especially the younger one, Kemiso, who publicly berated him on Facebook in December after he told journalists that he was Kaizer Chiefs manager by birth.

He said he’d remain manager for as long as his father’s business existed.

Executive chairman of Kaizer Chiefs and head of the Motaung family Kaizer Motaung said on Thursdayhe had “no comment to make now”, and that he was going into a meeting.

Asked if the meeting was to discuss the arrests, he said: “No, it’s a meeting that was scheduled a long time ago.”

Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela confirmed that they had arrested directors from Lefika – a company that allegedly fraudulently secured a tender to build the R1.2 billion 2010 World Cup stadium.

“I can confirm that we [Hawks and Sars] arrested… gentlemen for fraud, forgery and theft… in relation to allegations that Lefika submitted false SA Revenue Service documents to apply for a tender to build the Mbombela Stadium.

“They are being transported to Nelspruit and will appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court tomorrow [today],” said Polela on Thursday.

Polela said Lefika had submitted fraudulent documents purportedly coming from Sars when it successfully tendered for the contract to design the stadium.

He said the Hawks had “unravelled the entire bidding process and interviewed officials and the losing bidders to find out where corruption happened and who was involved”.

Polela said the arrests were the culmination of the first phase of an ongoing investigation.

The construction of the 41 000-seater venue was marred by allegations of tender fraud, corruption and wrongdoing.

The local community complained they had been forced out of their land without any compensation, with two schools demolished to make way for the stadium.

Former Mbombela municipal speaker Jimmy Mohlala, who blew the whistle on the deal, was gunned down in January 2009.

He had publicly accused Lefika, other companies and individuals of tender corruption a year earlier.

Mohlala claimed to have evidence that Lefika forged a government document and committed bank fraud to win the contract.

He alleged that the then-Mbombela municipal manager had connived with stadium contractors to steal public money.

He also alleged that there had been corruption relating to housing.

Mohlala was told by the ANC’s leaders for the Ehlanzeni region to resign, but he refused.

He threatened to file criminal complaints, but was shot dead at his home in Kanyamazane on January 4, 2009, before he could do so.

The housing corruption allegations led to the manager being hauled before a disciplinary hearing. He was found guilty and sacked in March 2009.

The manager went to the labour court in a bid to overturn his dismissal. City Press reported – and well-placed ANC sources have confirmed – that the party’s Ehlanzeni leaders instructed party councillors to reach a settlement out of court.

The manager was paid R1.5 million in settlement, with the municipality saying it was necessary to do this in order to avoid incurring about R13m in legal fees.

Mohlala’s killer or killers have yet to face the law. Charges against five men arrested after his death were dropped in January.

Police later arrested a Mozambican man, known as Josh, who, it is understood, alleged in an affidavit that a senior ANC politician and a personality in soccer circles had been involved in Mohlala’s death.

At the time, Mpumalanga police questioned him, but later released him, saying they lacked evidence to link him to the crime. – Additional reporting by Lebogang Seale

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