Limpopo Police Commissioner Thembi Hadebe is the latest senior figure implicated in convicted fraudster Howard Mashaba’s demolishing of state property to build a new hotel in Giyani, Limpopo, reports the Mail & Guardian.

These latest revelations are detailed in Rosinah Mashele’s court case of harassment against Mashaba.

In her affidavit filed in the Giyani Magistrate’s Court, Mashele – an employee of the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) – stated that on 1 July, she informed Hadebe that Mashaba wanted to kick her out of the home she rented from the Public Works & Infrastructure Department.

In July, the Sassa official had received a protection order against Mashaba.

The property, situated in the Giyani suburb of Kremetart, is owned by the Public Works Department, according to a deeds search, despite Mashaba stating in his responding papers to the harassment case that he bought the house from the state. 

Mashaba – who has four previous convictions dating back to 2008, as well as several graft cases in Limpopo and Gauteng, is expected to launch his Mafemani Hotel on 19 October.

Mashaba is also the subject of a Special Investigating Unit inquiry into more than R34.4m in allegedly stolen National Lotteries Commission funds.

Detailing her interactions with the Limpopo Police Commissioner, Mashele said she gave Hadebe the phone numbers of Mashaba and his workers – as well as the Giyani police station’s commander, identified only as General Mashaba – where a ‘conference call’ was held with all involved.

The M&G reports that while confirming that the provincial commissioner was aware of the allegations against her and Mashaba, Limpopo police spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba said Hadebe could not comment because the ‘matters you are inquiring about (are) before the court’.

‘It is worth mentioning that the cases are investigated at the provincial level by a well-experienced team appointed by the provincial commissioner due to the complexity of the allegations’ Ledwaba added.

In an affidavit countering allegations against him, Mashaba said Mashele was not ‘a legal tenant’ of the property, saying he ‘disputed the validity‘ of her lease agreement. 

Mashaba is out on R5 000 bail for breaking the harassment protection order granted against him by the Giyani court, after he was arrested in August.

Full Mail & Guardian report