QWAQWA – The Hawks in the Free State have arrested a man from Phuthaditjhaba in the Eastern Free State for allegedly defrauding the University of the Free State (UFS) of more than R1.5 million through bogus student accommodation. The fraud-accused Motlatsi Nelson Khalane (31) made his first appearance in the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 14 October.
Members of the Hawks’ Bethlehem Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team pounced on Khalane on Monday, 13 October.
WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the suspect was granted bail of R5 000. One of the conditions is that he must reappear at all scheduled court hearings.
Matoti said the elite crime-fighting wing launched an investigation after the university discovered that Khalane’s student accommodation was non-existent.
“It is alleged that Khalane, through his company, submitted an application to the UFS’ Qwaqwa campus to be considered for the provision of student accommodation. In his application, he claimed to have 215 rooms available to accommodate students. The application was approved, and funds were subsequently paid into his company’s business account between January 2023 and December 2024. During the verification process, the university discovered that the two stands provided in the application stood empty with no rooms built. As a result, the UFS suffered a financial loss of more than R1.5 million,” Matoti explained.
She said Khalane’s fraud case will continue in the Bethlehem Commercial Crimes Court on 11 December.
