South Africa’s Gauteng Gambling Board has entered a major governance crisis after provincial authorities dismissed chief executive Dr Karabo Mbele following a forensic investigation into alleged financial misconduct and governance failures.
The decision was announced by Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural Development Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, who also confirmed the suspension of the regulator’s chief financial officer, Oscar Maripane, pending disciplinary proceedings.
According to findings prepared by an independent legal team, the investigation uncovered what officials described as serious abuses of public resources and repeated governance breaches inside the Gauteng Gambling Board.
Mbele allegedly interfered in funding adjudication procedures, approved payments before governance checks had been completed and authorised transactions without the required supporting documentation. Investigators also cited wider failures in oversight and compliance controls.
Maripane, meanwhile, faces allegations tied to procurement irregularities, financial governance failures, breaches of South Africa’s Public Finance Management Act and weaknesses in statutory reporting and internal controls.
The investigation began after several whistleblower complaints were reportedly filed against the regulator following Ramokgopa’s appointment in April.
In a statement, Ramokgopa said her administration would take a hard line against corruption and misuse of public resources.
“Corruption, maladministration and the abuse of public resources will not be tolerated under this administration,” she said, adding that no individual would be “above reproach.”
Authorities have already started the process of appointing an administrator to stabilise the regulator and rebuild governance structures at the board.
The political party Build One South Africa (BOSA) welcomed the dismissals and called for a broader criminal investigation into the allegations. The party’s Gauteng MPL Ayanda Allie had previously filed criminal complaints against Mbele related to alleged fraud, corruption, abuse of office and conflicts of interest.
BOSA urged South African law enforcement agencies, including the Hawks, to move quickly and pursue full accountability in the case.
The Gauteng province remains South Africa’s economic hub and home to roughly 26% of the country’s population despite covering only a small portion of its land area.