Klerksdorp – Former municipal manager for Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality 61-year-old Abbey Dlavane has been sentenced to five years in prison for theft of more than half a million rand from his employer.
The accused, who was convicted of theft and contravention of Section 173 (1)(a) of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), was sentenced in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court, in the North West, on Friday, (25 April 2025).
Evidence before the court showed that the accused, Dlavane, was employed as the municipal manager for Dr Kenneth Kaunda District municipality between January 2009 and March 2010.
During that time the accused instructed the credit controller to issue a cheque of R550 000 to Kumekucha Investment, which had not performed any services for the municipality.
The anomaly was reported to the Klerksdorp-based Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.
Hawks’ investigations revealed that the accused was the sole member of Kumekucha Investment.
It was further established that the accused failed to follow proper municipal supply chain management policy processes.
Dlavane authorised the payment without implementing a competitive bidding process resulting in the municipality suffering a loss worth R550 000.
Following a series of court appearances, the accused was found guilty on one count of theft and one count of Contravention of Section 173 of MFMA.
Dlavane was sentenced to five years direct imprisonment for theft and three years in prison for Contravention of Section 173 (MFMA), which was wholly suspended for 5 years.
The North West Acting Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Georgia Moos and the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari welcomed the sentence.
They lauded the investigation and prosecution team.
