Selby makgotho

Selby makgotho

Five cashiers in the Licensing Department of the Polokwane municipality in Limpopo have been suspended with full pay after allegations of theft, fraud and misappropriation of funds.

Spokesman for the municipality Simon Mokoatedi said yesterday the suspensions were effective from the beginning of this month.

Mokoatedi said the municipality had earlier commissioned a forensic investigation to uncover the cause of various financial irregularities in the licensing department.

He said the probe had resulted in them taking disciplinary action against employees in the section.

The suspended officials, who work as cashiers in Polokwane's traffic services centre in Ladanna, deal with money from motorists.

Mokoatedi identified the officials as Maudie Phasha, Margaret Southon, Monica Seletela, Kgopa Madisha and Kgabo Mabotja.

He would not say how much money was involved or how the fraud was perpetrated.

Mokoatedi said their suspicions had been aroused when the municipality's cheques were regularly being dishonoured by the banks.

"We were wondering why the municipality's cheques were bouncing.

"The banks kept on writing to us to complain that our cheques were being dishonoured.

"We went to investigate and found that the situation was really out of control.

"It means the people had been receiving the money, but at times were not banking it as required by law," he said.