COURT GRANTS BAIL TO MALEMA ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN EMFULENI MUNICIPALITY R16MILLION FRAUD AND CORRUPTION CASE
COURT GRANTS BAIL TO MALEMA ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN EMFULENI MUNICIPALITY R16 MILLION FRAUD AND CORRUPTION CASE
Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng – The Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court has granted bail of R30 000 to Mpho Edward Malema (40), a service provider and director of Mabula Forestry and Construction.
Malema faces charges of corruption, fraud and theft involving approximately R16Million.
It is alleged that between July 2015 and July 2023, Emfuleni Local Municipality Fleet Manager Lerato Selaelo Mpholo (45), who is Accused 1 in the matter, received a payment of R50 000, as well as other undisclosed amounts, from Malema in exchange for allegedly facilitating the awarding of fleet procurement contracts by the municipality to Malema and his company.
Following the awarding of the contracts, the municipality allegedly ordered and paid approximately R16Million to Malema for the procurement of 18 vehicles, including UD trucks and bakkies. However, the vehicles were allegedly never delivered to the municipality.
Seven of the vehicles have since been recovered from other entities, while the remaining vehicles are still outstanding.
During the bail proceedings, the State opposed Malema’s release on bail. However, the magistrate found that it was in the interests of justice for the accused to be released on bail and granted him bail of R30 000.
The matter was postponed to 29 September 2026 for further investigations and for Malema to join his co-accused, Mpholo, who was previously released on bail.
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