By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) – known as the Hawks – have arrested three former South African cricket players implicated in a match-fixing during the 2015/2016 domestic T20 Ram Slam Challenge.
The trio, Ethy Mbhalati (43), Thami Tsolekile (44) and Lonwabo Tsotsobe (40 ) were arrested on 18 November, 28 and 29 November, respectively.
Mbhalati has since appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court and the matter was postponed to 20 February 2025 for further instructions.
Tsolekile and Tsotsobe were both charged with five counts of corruption under Section 15 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 2004 (PRECCA).
“The arrests come after a meticulous investigation by the Serious Corruption Investigation component of the DPCI, following allegations reported by a whistleblower in October 2016,” the Hawks statement read.
“They both appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court today, 29 November 2024 where their case was postponed to 26 February 2025 for disclosure.”
The scandal dates back to October 2015 when CSA’s anti-corruption unit, imposed bans on Golam Bodi, Jean Symes, Pumi Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati, Thami Tsolekile and Alviro Petersen for offences under the code relating to the 2015 Ram Slam T20 Challenge Series.
Bodi approached several players to participate in fixing three T20 Ram Slam matches, working in collusion with bookmakers from India. He was arrested in July 2018, pleaded guilty to eight counts of corruption, and was sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment in October 2019.
Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, National Head of the DPCI, commended the team for their unwavering commitment to tackling corruption, even in sectors where it often goes unnoticed.
“Corruption undermines the integrity of sport, and the Hawks are determined to safeguard the values of fairness and professionalism in all areas of society. We thank Cricket South Africa for their cooperation and commitment to addressing this scourge.”
The DPCI urges all individuals with information on corrupt activities to come forward and report such matters.