By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has been granted an order to seize R326 million in assets belonging to corruption-accused businessman Hangwani Maumela.
The matter relates to Tembisa Hospital corruption, where a group of highly connected businesspeople were awarded inflated tenders and contracts amounting to about R2 billion.
A final forfeiture order means the assets now belong to the State and will be sold at auction.
The seized assets comprise six luxury residential properties in affluent areas, with the most valuable located in Sandhurst and worth over R71 million.
Eight high-end vehicles, including Lamborghinis, Bentleys, an Isuzu, and a multipurpose trailer, were also included in the seizure order.
Last year, a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation found that the syndicate – together with two others – siphoned off billions earmarked for the improvement of healthcare services at the hospital in a complex web of fraud and corruption.
The investigation into the Tembisa Hospital was preceded by a report by slain former Chief Director of Financial Accounting at the GDoH, Babita Deokaran.
Deokaran was assassinated in 2021 following the report which outlined irregularities at the hospital’s supply chain management unit.
Her disclosures triggered an extensive forensic investigation supported by the National Treasury’s Specialised Audit Services Unit (SAS), which examined hospital payment records, supplier registrations and company ownership data spanning more than six years.
The Johannesburg High Court granted the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) a final forfeiture order for assets held by Maumela and his affiliated companies on Monday, 20 July 2026.
According to NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, a review by the Specialised Audit Services Unit (SAS) of the National Treasury (NT) between April 2016 and August 2022, confirmed the possible large-scale corruption reported by Deokaran.
He said 14 entities controlled by the Maumela syndicate benefited irregularly and unlawfully from contracts from the Tembisa Hospital with a cumulative value of more than R400 million.
Kganyago added that forensic investigations revealed a multitude of irregularities in the procurement processes.
He further added that analysis conducted of the flow of funds indicated that most of the funds received by the syndicate entities were used to purchase assets, to pay bribes to officials, to cover bidders and by members of the syndicates for personal use to fund their extravagant lifestyles.
Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions responsible for the Assets Forfeiture Unit, Advocate Chuma Mtengwane, said the Criminal Asset Recovery Committee would oversee the proper allocation of the recovered funds.
All proceeds recovered from the forfeiture will be paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account and ringfenced for use by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH).
Meanwhile SIU welcomed the dismissal of Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport official, Jacob Bandile Ngcobo, following an investigation that uncovered corruption linked to the procurement of COVID-19 disinfection services during the National State of Disaster.