The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has confirmed that it has not forfeited the value of several luxury vehicles linked to an alleged procurement syndicate under investigation, stressing that a preservation order remains firmly in place while the main forfeiture proceedings are still to come.
This follows a recent ruling by the Special Tribunal, which declined to grant a final forfeiture order at this stage. The decision means the vehicles are not transferred to the state yet, but crucially, they are also not released to any of the respondents. Instead, the preservation order continues to protect the assets, ensuring their value is secured pending the outcome of the SIU’s investigation.
In its ruling, the Tribunal underscored that questions around ownership of the vehicles remain unresolved. It further noted that suspicions surrounding allegedly discounted transactions through which the vehicles were acquired would be properly ventilated during the main proceedings. The Tribunal made it clear that its decision should not be interpreted as a finding in favour of any party implicated in the matter.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the ruling does not derail the investigation or the unit’s broader efforts to recover state losses. “The preservation order remains in force, which means the assets are protected while we finalise our investigation and proceed with the main forfeiture case,” Kganyago said. “The vehicles have not been lost to the state, and their value is safeguarded pending final determination by the Tribunal.”
The vehicles form part of a wider SIU investigation into alleged procurement irregularities at Tembisa Hospital, where contracts worth millions of rand are under scrutiny. The SIU has previously indicated that its probe focuses on whether suppliers unlawfully benefited from state contracts and then used those proceeds to acquire high-value assets, including luxury cars.
At the centre of public interest in the matter is businessman Hangwani Maumela, who has been widely described in public discourse as a nephew of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Presidency, however, has repeatedly and categorically denied any familial relationship between Ramaphosa and Maumela. Ramaphosa has maintained that he is not related to Maumela, despite persistent claims circulating on social media and in political commentary.
Speculation has intensified following reports that the President was seen in the company of popular DJ Thabo “Tbo Touch” Molefe, and after an American pastor reportedly shared a photograph taken outside Maumela’s residence. None of these incidents, however, has been presented as evidence of any family connection, and the Presidency has dismissed suggestions of a link as unfounded.
The SIU has emphasised that its investigation is evidence-driven and not influenced by public speculation or the perceived political profiles of individuals mentioned in the matter. The unit’s next step is to continue gathering evidence and to pursue the main forfeiture proceedings before the Tribunal.
Until then, the preservation order remains in place, the vehicles’ value is secured for the state, and the investigation into the alleged Tembisa Hospital procurement syndicate continues.
