Sowetan reports that a North West municipality has allowed a senior employee to remain in his job despite internal investigations that he faked his qualifications and has an unsettled fraud case.  

The man was hired by the Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality (covering Zeerust and Groot Marico) in 2012 as a technical supervisor even though he only has a Standard 9 (Grade 11) progress report that he allegedly faked.  He and another municipal employee were arrested in August 2013 and charged with fraud after they allegedly stole building materials using a municipal bakkie.  Those charges have apparently since been dropped.  Last week, residents gathered at the municipal office and demanded that the man they have accused of theft be fired and that the municipality should investigate fraud charges against him.  Municipal manager Thompson Phakalane confirmed that the allegations about fake qualifications were being probed, with a full report expected in two months.  Phakalane said the employee had not been suspended because the municipality was still getting details of his employment.

• Read this report by Boitumelo Tshehle in full on page 6 of Sowetan of 28 June 2016

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