By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) known as Hawks, have arrested a 37 year-old man linked to tender fraud worth R2-billion at the Tembisa Hospital.
The suspect was arrested at the OR Tambo Aiport as he arrived from a trip abroad on Sunday, 30 August 2026.
According to the DPCI Colonel Katlego Mogale, the suspect faces charges related to fraud, corruption, forgery and/or uttering, contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), and money laundering.
The suspect is said to have been involved in a complex investigation into multimillion-rand tender fraud linked to Tembisa Hospitals’ procurement processes.
“It is alleged that certain officials at the hospital colluded with service providers to exploit the Request for Quotations (RFQ) system for procurement transactions below the R500,000 threshold. This approach was intentionally employed to circumvent the formal tender process,” Mogale said in a statement on Sunday.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, on Monday, 31 August 2026.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigations into corruption at Tembisa Hospital uncovered three syndicates responsible for over R2 billion in losses.
The Maumela Syndicate is linked to Hangwani Morgan Maumela. The SIU has examined 1,728 procurement bundles valued at more than R816-million connected to this group.
The syndicate’s assets are estimated at about R520-million, encompassing luxury vehicles, including Lamborghinis and Bentleys, and prime real estate across several provinces. Notable properties include a R75-million estate in Bantry Bay, Cape Town, and residences in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit has successfully preserved several of these assets.
Connected to Rudolph Mazibuko, this syndicate was responsible for irregularities in 651 procurement bundles worth approximately R283-million. According to the SIU report, the Mazibuko Syndicate holds assets valued at more than R42-million, including multiple properties across Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Syndicate X remains under active investigation, linked to 1,237 procurement bundles valued at nearly R596-million. The SIU has uncovered evidence of sophisticated money laundering schemes using secondary conduit bank accounts to mask the illicit flow of funds. Assets connected to Syndicate X are estimated at about R150-million.
The Tembisa hospital scandal came into the national spotlight after the assassination of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran in August 2021.
Deokaran, who was the chief director of financial accounting in the Gauteng health department, was shot dead shortly after dropping her child at school. It later emerged that her murder was linked to attempts to stop her exposing the fraudulent network siphoning millions from the hospital.