President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Leonard Gaoretelelwe Lekgetho as the new permanent head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), placing an experienced investigator at the helm of one of the country’s key institutions in the fight against corruption. Lekgetho’s appointment takes effect on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, in terms of section 3(1)(a) of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act of 1996. He succeeds Andy Mothibi, who left the SIU on February 1 to take up the position of…

The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has granted businessman and PhD-trained chemist Stefan Govindraju R200,000 bail following his arrest in connection with the sprawling R635 million Tembisa Hospital corruption investigation. Govindraju, 37, was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday, 28 August, when he returned to South Africa from overseas. He appeared in court on Monday facing charges including fraud, corruption and money laundering. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) did not oppose his release on bail, citing his…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured acknowledgements of debt from two service providers and recovered more than R3.3 million linked to the overcharging of the University of Fort Hare for student accommodation. The SIU said its investigation found that three service providers had overcharged the university by a combined R3,334,808.30 in connection with the leasing of accommodation for students. Younus Atcha, trading as Equicent Eastern Cape Developments (Pty) Ltd, and Tshongwane Trust signed acknowledgements of debt after the SIU…

A Ferrari bought for more than R11 million and linked to businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela can now be sold after the Special Tribunal ruled that keeping the luxury vehicle under preservation was no longer financially prudent. The Ferrari SF90 Stradale forms part of a collection of luxury assets preserved in connection with the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) investigation into alleged corruption and maladministration at Tembisa Hospital, where about R2 billion is alleged to have been looted through irregular procurement. The…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured a judgment in the Special Tribunal declaring unlawful and invalid a R9 million grant awarded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) for the construction of a sports complex in Protea Glen, Soweto, that was never built. The ruling sets aside the grant agreement awarded to the Motheo Sports and Entertainment Foundation and orders several individuals and entities involved in the project to repay millions of rand that had already been disbursed. The Tribunal…

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has welcomed the arrest of two former Department of Home Affairs officials and four members of the public in connection with an alleged fraud and corruption scheme involving the irregular registration of births at the Malamulele Home Affairs office in Limpopo. The arrests, announced on Tuesday, are the latest in the department’s ongoing campaign against corruption within the country’s identity and immigration system. According to the department, the suspects were arrested over the weekend by…

Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Group Chief Executive Officer Lucky Montana has rejected claims by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that it has secured a preservation order over two of his luxury properties, insisting the legal process is only at its preliminary stage and that he will oppose the application before the Special Tribunal. Montana responded late on Sunday through a lengthy statement posted on his X account, hours after the SIU announced it had obtained what…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed a landmark judgment by the Special Tribunal declaring the National Lotteries Commission’s (NLC) decision to award a R4 million grant to the Mshandukani Foundation unlawful, setting aside the funding agreement and ordering the money to be repaid with interest. Siu on Wednesday said the ruling forms part of the unit’s ongoing efforts to recover public funds lost through corruption and maladministration at the National Lotteries Commission following investigations authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa.…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the dismissal of a Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport official implicated in corruption linked to the procurement of Covid 19 disinfection services during the National State of Disaster. Jacob Bandile Ngcobo, who served as a State Accountant for Property and Facilities in the department, was dismissed following an SIU investigation that uncovered an unlawful relationship between him and a service provider that secured lucrative government contracts during the pandemic. According…

A Limpopo municipal councillor accused of attempting to bribe a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigator was rearrested moments after being granted bail when police executed an outstanding warrant against him in an unrelated theft case. Netshivhumbe Gumani, 34, a councillor at Thulamela Municipality, appeared before the Molopo Magistrate’s Court in Mahikeng on Monday on charges relating to the alleged attempted bribery of an SIU investigator. The court granted him bail of R10,000 and postponed the matter to 18 September 2026.…