A senior official from the North West Department of Education has been fined R20,000 after being found guilty of fraud involving the creation of ghost employees and illegal salary payments.
A slap on the wrist: North West Education employee skirts prison term for fraud
The Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court handed down the sentence on Friday, 20 June 2025.
The official, 40-year-old Olebogeng Modikoe, was employed as a Principal Human Resource Officer when the offence occurred.
In 2023, he reportedly used his position to create two fake employees in the department’s payroll system. These individuals, despite never actually working for the department, were each given a three-month contract.
Over that period, they were paid a combined total of R150,000.
An investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit found that the salaries had been deposited into the bank accounts of two other individuals.
These co-accused are currently still facing charges, and their case is ongoing in court.
According to the Hawks, Modikoe and his accomplices were arrested in March 2024 following the completion of the investigation. He made several court appearances before agreeing to a plea and sentencing deal with the State.
Modikoe was sentenced to three years imprisonment or a R20,000 fine on two counts of fraud.
Additionally, he received another two-year sentence or R10,000 fine on two counts of money laundering. Effectively, he can avoid jail time if he pays R30,000.
Fraud is a criminal offence that involves intentionally deceiving someone to gain an unfair or unlawful advantage, usually financial. In this case, Modikoe abused his access to the human resources system to create fake employees and redirect government funds.
Brigadier Silas Munzhedzi, acting head of the Hawks in the North West, and Dr Rachel Makhari, Director of Public Prosecutions in the province, both praised the work of the investigative and prosecutorial teams.
“The sentencing sends a clear message that corruption and misuse of public funds will not be tolerated,” Brigadier Munzhedzi said.
“We will continue to work with our partners to ensure accountability within the public sector.”