By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed the arrest of another senior municipal official attached to the City of Ekurhuleni (COE) Metropolitan Municipality.
The municipality is currently experiencing a severe corruption crisis, characterized by widespread investigations into tender fraud, racketeering, and violence against whistleblowers.
Multiple high-level probes are underway, including investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Madlanga commission of Inquiry into claims that officials received substantial kickbacks from service providers.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the 40-year-old municipal official was taken into custody in Johannesburg earlier in the day.
Mathe said the arrest formed part of an ongoing investigation and that more arrests could be expected.
The arrest comes after suspended EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi was apprehended by a SAPS task team linked to the Madlanga Commission on Saturday for fraud and corruption, in a case that has already drawn national attention over allegations of deep-seated corruption and criminal infiltration within municipal and policing structures.
Both accused are expected to appear before the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 20 April.
Meanwhile Fullview learned that progress has been made in the investigation involving the tender resulted in R2 billion revenue shortfall, and an announcement is expected in the coming weeks.
The investigation, which involves the Auditor-General (AG), centers on over 1,600 accounts that were tampered with, resulting in the erasure of debt or under-billing of electricity for households and businesses.