UFS Paid R1.5m for Non-Existent Student Accommodation
The University of Free State (UFS) paid R1.5m to Motlatsi Nelson Khalane for student accommodation that did not exist over a period of two years.
Khalane, 31, submitted an application to the UFS Qwaqwa Campus, claiming to have 215 rooms available for students. The application was approved, and funds were paid into his company's account between January 2023 and December 2024.
Allegations are that Khalane, through his company, submitted an application to the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus to be considered for the provision of student accommodation.
A verification process by the university revealed that the two stands provided in the application were empty, with no rooms built. The Hawks spokesperson, W/O Fikiswa Matoti, confirmed the allegations.
The university's failure to verify the existence of the accommodation before paying led to the loss of R1.5m over two years.
Author's summary: UFS lost R1.5m on non-existent student accommodation.
- Motlatsi Nelson Khalane received R1.5m for non-existent accommodation.
- The accommodation was supposed to have 215 rooms.
- The university did not verify the existence of the accommodation before paying.