15 October 2007
A housing contractor in Thaba Chweu District in Mpumalanga has been
sentenced to three years imprisonment, which has been suspended for five years,
for defrauding the Department of Local Government and Housing of an amount of
R102 061. Mr Surprise Jikky Mphokane of Mamosuthu Construction was appointed by
the department to build 25 Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP)
houses in the Thaba Chweu municipality, and he claimed for work that was not
done. The contractor has also been ordered by the court to repay the money he
has defrauded the department.
Mr Mphokane is the first contractor to be convicted and sentenced for
defrauding the department. The department picked up this discrepancy during
their routine inspection and investigation. The department found that the
contractor had claimed for payment on incomplete houses and then reported the
matter to the police.
The department is currently investigating and will continue investigating
other possible fraud cases where contractors are asked to do work and end up
defrauding government. All contractors who will be found to have defrauded the
department will face the full might of the law. Those service providers found
to have defrauded the department will also be blacklisted by the
department.
The Department will not allow unscrupulous contractors to get away with
theft and corruption. The department will leave no stone unturned in making
sure that it roots out all corruption from both its service providers and
officials.
Enquiries:
Simphiwe Kunene
Cell: 082 413 3931
Issued by: Department of Housing, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
15 October 2007
