Ex-municipal manager handed five-year suspended sentence in VBS case

Former Fetakgomo-Tubatse local municipality manager, who invested R230m into VBS Mutual Bank, has been given a five-year suspended sentence after his guilt plea.

Johannes Mohlala, 60, was also ordered to pay R100,000 to the curator of VBS by the Pretoria high court on Wednesday.

Hawks spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale said Mohlala was convicted and sentenced on the same day after he pleaded guilty to a section of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

“The investigation revealed that Fetakgomo-Tubatse local municipality invested an amount of R230m which was paid in five trenches from November 15 2016 to February 19 2018,” Mogale said.

Mohlala and his co-accused former CFO of the municipality, Tumelo Ratau and businessman Keaobaka Kgatitsoe, were arrested in November 2021 at their homes in Pretoria on allegations of contravention of the MFMA for investing municipal funds with VBS.

Mogale said a warrant of arrest had been issued after Ratau failed to appear in court on Wednesday.

She said the matter was postponed to November 18 for forfeiture of Ratau's bail.

Kgatitsoe, who is the owner of Kelotlhoko Property Services, was given a five-year sentence which was also suspended in July 2022. 

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za 

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