A councillor from Limpopo has been arrested after allegedly attempting to bribe a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigator with R70,000 to derail an ongoing corruption investigation linked to the Mahikeng Local Municipality in North West.

Netshivhumbe Gumani, 44, a serving councillor at Thulamela Local Municipality, was arrested on Thursday in a joint operation involving the SIU, the Hawks and the South African Police Service (SAPS). He is facing a charge of corruption.

According to the SIU, Gumani allegedly approached investigators working on a probe into suspected maladministration and corruption involving two municipal leasing contracts awarded by Mahikeng Local Municipality.

The investigation is being conducted under Proclamation R213 of 2024 and focuses on the procurement and contracting of goods and services related to two lease agreements entered into by the municipality in 2015 and 2016.

The SIU said its forensic investigation uncovered suspicious financial transactions involving a service provider contracted by the municipality. Investigators allegedly found money flowing from the service provider to companies and individuals who appeared to have no connection to the contracts under investigation.

As the investigation progressed, Gumani allegedly attempted to influence the outcome by approaching SIU officials.

According to the unit, he first approached one investigator and sought to persuade the official to interfere with the investigation. The investigator refused.

The SIU said Gumani later targeted a senior investigator, allegedly offering R70,000 in exchange for ignoring evidence uncovered during the probe.

The councillor is accused of asking the investigator to “close one eye” and disregard information that could potentially implicate individuals connected to the investigation.

The alleged bribery attempt culminated on 18 June when Gumani met with the senior investigator in Mahikeng and handed over R10,000 in cash as part of the proposed R70,000 payment.

The SIU said the matter had already been reported to law enforcement authorities, prompting the Hawks and SAPS to authorise an entrapment operation.

Members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation and Serious Commercial Crime Investigation units, together with the Mahikeng Tactical Response Team, monitored the meeting.

Gumani was arrested immediately after handing over the cash. The money was seized and counted in the presence of law enforcement officers.

The SIU further revealed that Gumani had also approached a third SIU official from the unit’s head office during the previous weekend in what investigators believe was another attempt to influence the investigation.

Following his arrest, Gumani appeared briefly in the Molopo Magistrate’s Court in Mahikeng.

The matter was postponed to 29 June 2026 for a formal bail application.

In a statement on Friday, the SIU said the arrest demonstrated the effectiveness of cooperation between anti-corruption agencies and law enforcement authorities in protecting the integrity of investigations.

“The SIU’s investigators uphold the highest standards of integrity. This case sends a strong deterrent message that corruption will not be tolerated and that those who attempt to corrupt SIU investigators will face the full might of the law,” the unit said.

The investigation into the Mahikeng municipal contracts is continuing.

No further arrests have been announced, and authorities have not disclosed whether Gumani was acting on behalf of any individual or company implicated in the investigation.

The SIU has vowed to continue pursuing evidence linked to the Mahikeng matter and to recover any public funds lost through corruption or maladministration.