WeeklySA_AdminNETWORK: Fraud case opened as preliminary probe reveals possible internal collusion between more than one Post Office teller…
By Robert Tlapu
The joy of owning a house they would call home will continue to be a pipe dream for a Barkley West family in the northern Cape, if the Postbank does not resolve their missing R100k savings account case.
Five years of hard-savings by the family of Olehile Sehako, (44), to amass more than R100k at the Postbank branch in Kimberely seems to have gone down the drain.
The family started smelling a rat in November last year when their account registered a balance of only R14 and a few cents. The whole hundred thousand and seven hundred rands (R100 700.00) went missing.
That was a shocker for Sehako and his family who at last check of the bank statement had a balance of R100 700.00.
After reporting the matter to the Postbank Kimberley branch, he was assured they will open an internal investigation. He then went to report the matter to the SAPS, his employer for the past 14 years working as an officer.
This would be the beginning of being shunned from pillar to post for Sehako. “I’ve been to the Post Office for updates on the matter, and all I am told is ‘they still investigating’,” he said.
Unbeknown to Sehako his case would unravel a can of worms at the Kimberley branch of Postbank, where it was discovered a spate of accounts had been also been “hacked”.
Postbank Spokesperson Bongani Diako told WSAM that a fraud case has been opened and preliminary investigation demonstrates possible internal collusion involving more than one of the Post Office tellers.
“The investigation was able to uncover the trail of transactions which were not performed by the customer concerned. Postbank is liable for the compensation of the customer and that process has commenced.
“There are still various outstanding documents from the customer and once those are provided the customer will be reimbursed their funds.
Postbank apologizes for this experience which is not common within our environment as we have been trusted with customer deposits for decades”, apologized Diako.
Responding to if the Postbank clients’ deposits are safe with the looming liquidation of the Post Office, Diako assured the clients that, “Postbank is separate from Post Office and operates as a separate entity since our separation in 2019.
“We use the Post Office branches as one of our distribution channels amongst others to service customers on agency basis wherein we pay a fee for the services”. He further said Postbank is therefore not directly affected by the legal and other developments within South African Post Office (SAPO).
“We have built mitigations to provide our customers services via other additional channels in line with our multi-channels diversification strategy some of which will be announced soo
A father of three daughters, Sehako and his wife Phatsimo said they were also disappointed with the police investigations in the matter.
“We are heartbroken about what happened and the poor police investigations. We lost the money that we were intending to pay for our kid’s fees and other household necessities. My car needs repairing, and I am using it for my business venture”, said wife Phatsimo.
Hubby Sehako says he preferred to save with Postbank as it was a better option in terms of withdrawals as one can’t just do them anywhere, unless it is at the branch where the account is held as opposed to other banking institutions.
LOTTO COMMISSION BROKE?
Mystery: Agency calls for new applications for funding yet rejects Npo’s application citing depleted funds
By Ali Mphaki
A Johannesburg-based NPO whose funding application for furniture and equipment was rejected does not buy the explanation by the National Lotterries Commission,NLC, that the entity’s Gauteng budget for the arts development funding area is depleted.
South African Roadies Association, SARA, a unique and dynamic youth empowerment initiative operating in the live events and technical production sector with over 2 000 graduates so far, has also called for the NLC to provide the date and minutes of the meeting where their application was considered and rejected – but almost four months later these have not been forthcoming. Further puzzling is that the NLC twice opened funding applications, in June and October, during the same financial year last year, yet say their funds are depleted.
SARA had applied during the June instalment of applications. The NLC as per its mandate funds NPO entities working for the public good.
This covers a wide range of organisations including: Non-profit organisations (NPOs), Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Section 21 companies. Public benefit trusts, Sporting bodies and sports clubs, Educational institutions, Recreational clubs; and Cultural bodies.
Eligible organisations range from national structures right down to small community groups.
In their website the NLC says they do not only welcome applications from small organisations, but actively encourage them.
SARA had applied to the NLC in June last year for the purchase of furniture and technical equipment to enhance the scope and quality of SARA’S training and skills development offering by providing access to critical equipment for training, skills development and for use on SARA’S “On-the-Job Entry Level Training Program”.
The equipment needed forms an important compliment to SARA’S existing sound, audio visual and staging training equipment base, allowing for training levels to be taken to the highest standard.
This effort which is focused on youth, skills and creating the conditions to train and equip the youth has seen on a national basis more than 2200 of its past and current members trained both in South Africa and abroad.
SARA owns a two-story building in Newtown. A letter from the NLC rejecting SARA’s application citing depleted funds received in early January would not go down well with the NPO.
SARA immediately appealed the rejection, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. The final straw was on April 6 when the NLC told SARA it considers “the matter closed”.
SARA president Freddie Nyathela says its unfortunate that the NLC and its Distribution Agency on Arts, Culture and Heritage has decided to decline SARA’s compliant funding application “based on false and untrue statements, and disregard for the NLC’s own mission and values”.
He said the NLC has deliberately deprived SARA an opportunity to be heard and even declining an invitation from SARA for NLC Commissioner/officials to visit SARA House to have first-hand information about its activities.
Nyathela was highly scathing of especially the NLC chairperson of the Distribution Agency on Arts, Culture and Heritage Ms Marjorie Letoaba, whom he accuses of a “personal and hostile” attitude towards SARA. He said each time SARA had to apply for funding from the NLC, SARA applications were always subjected to an appeal, citing a case in 2017 where their application was finally approved after mitigation.
“SARA is only asking for fairness and transparency from the NLC as per the Lottery Act, the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 and the Constitution,” he said. Spokesperson for the NLC commissioner Jodi Scholtz acknowledged reciept of Weekly SA Mirror’s inquiry into the matter and promised to revert. Two weeks later there’s been no communication coming from her. The NLC has distributed over R30 billion to “good” causes since 1999, even though the entity has been embroiled in allegations of fraud, reports of corruption, nepotism and maladministration.
This week the NPA published a notice in the Government Gazette alerting kwaito musician Arthue Mafokate, and others accused of buying personal properties with lottery funds that it intends to apply for a forfeiture order within 90 days.
In addition to the kwaito star’s guest house other properties the state has frozen and intends to seize include: a plot in Pretoria linked to former NCL chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda. A luxury Simonstown house linked to the ex NCL legal representative and trustee, Lesley Ramulifho. a portion of farm in Rustenburg linked to former board member William Elias Huma; and a luxury property in Pretoria linked to Tsietsi Maselwa, the ex-head of the NCL’s legal division. “We dont want the funds from the NLC for our own personal good, but for the benefit of the African child and those not yet born,” said Nyathela.
SARA has asked the minister of trade, industry and competition Ebrahim Patel to intervene.
Published on the 96th Edition
