Thaniso Ralethe (37), Kenneth Maredi Mothiang (43) and Banyana Caroline Mokela (50) former employees of the Gauteng West Department of Education have been found guilty of theft by the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
They have been convicted and sentenced for theft and fraud.
The trio whilst employed by the department between the year 2014 and 2015 fraudulently created ghost employees on the department’s payroll system and assigned those ghost employees to the Bekkersdal Primary School.
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This unlawful criminal act was uncovered when the school in question submitted a request to the department to fill vacant posts at the school prompting an internal review. Once the review was concluded, the matter was then reported to the police resulting in the three implicated individuals resigning from the department in December 2015 following their arrest.
On 23 May 2025 the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court found the three guilty and on 02 October 2025 the trio were sentenced as follows;
Thaniso Ralethe was sentenced to (3) years imprisonment, wholly suspended for (5) years on condition that the accused is not convicted for fraud, theft or attempted theft during the suspension period.
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Kenneth Maredi Mothiang was sentenced to (10) years imprisonment, (4) years of the sentence is wholly suspended on condition that the accused is not convicted for fraud, theft or attempted theft during the suspension period. The accused is sentenced to an effective (6) years imprisonment.
Banyana Caroline Mokela was sentenced to an effective (8) years imprisonment.
Bongi Sikelo 