The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has pounced on a Free State municipality over suspected tender irregularities and maladministration involving water supply contracts.  Assisted by the Hawks and the South African Police Service (SAPS), the unit’s members swooped on the Masilonyana Local Municipality’s premises in Welkom. They seized documents relating to tenders for the Brandfort Water Treatment Works and Raw Water Pump Stations and the upgrading of the Brandfort Sports Centre Phase II including payment records and electronic devices.  The SIU…

The Deputy Director of the North West Department of Public Works and Roads, Mmapitsi Virginia Seate appeared in the Mmabatho Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 13, facing 54 counts of fraud related to falsified travel expense claims.  According to a joint statement by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Seate (51) was arrested earlier in the day by the Mahikeng-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit. Her arrest follows an investigation into alleged fraudulent…

While South Africa is making steady progress in its efforts to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, it will require “a significant effort” from all relevant authorities in the country to meet the deadline at the end of January 2025 to address remaining shortcomings identified by FATF, according to the National Treasury. South Africa’s grey listing woes started in 2019, when the global financial crime watchdog FATF red-flagged the country for high levels of corruption. This…

The investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has been expanded to include accounting firms involved in creating false statements to assist non-profit organizations (NPOs) in obtaining funds they are not entitled to. Collaborating with the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation, also known as the Hawks, the SIU conducted a raid on an accounting firm in Kimberley, Northern Cape, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, to gather evidence. “The SIU was granted a search and…

A Limpopo municipality has allegedly spent R1 million on 24 laptops, with an estimated price tag of around R34,000 each. It’s unclear what kind of laptops or models they are. Concerned opposition politicians at the Sekhukhune District Municipality are now demanding answers regarding the authorization process for the IT department’s expenditure. Secretary-General of the Bolsheviks Party SA, Seun Mogotji, said they were eager to ensure transparency and accountability within the municipal administration, especially following the arrests of a number of…

Former Eskom chief executive officer Andre De Ruyter has landed in hot water after the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, revealed that he reported his corruption claims to law enforcement agencies a day before briefing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) two weeks ago. The revelations suggest that De Ruyter had “prioritised “spilling the beans” in his television interview with eNCA back in February over his legal obligation, as Eskom boss, to report…

The arrest of a state lawyer implicated in a fraudulent scheme that inflated prices for services rendered to the government, has been hailed as a positive step towards fighting corruption at the highest levels. The Hawks swooped on Advocate Hassan Ebrahim Kajee over the weekend, placed him under arrest and took him into custody. Kajee slept in police holding cells until Monday morning when he appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court, where he was not asked to plead to various…