Hawks nab 15 Mogalakwena municipality officials and company directors

On Monday morning, the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation members in Limpopo arrested 15 people, including senior Mogalakwena Local Municipality officials and company directors at the municipality’s offices.

The Hawks are also investigating 13 companies linked to the suspects. The arrests come as part of an ongoing investigation into the allegations of corruption at the municipality.

The officials allegedly received bribes from services providers and companies for services not rendered.

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The Hawks’ Captain Matimba Maluleke said the municipality had lost over R15 million due to these illegal activities.

“We also seized a BMW 1 series which is believed to be a gift for one of the suspect’s girlfriends,” said Maluleke.

Residents have pleaded with police to investigate the troubled municipality for months, with fed-up members of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), Mogalakwena Concerned and Affected Communities (MCAC) and Mokopane Task Team (MTT) eventually taking their concerns to Parliament.

In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation authorising the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to investigate Mogalakwena Local Municipality and recover losses suffered by the municipality or state.

Investigations are ongoing, and the suspects are expected to appear in court within the next 48 hours.

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