Hawks Arrest 20 In Mpumalanga Education Department Fraud And Corruption Probe

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, have arrested 20 people in a sweeping crackdown on alleged fraud and corruption within Mpumalanga’s Department of Education.

The arrests form part of a nationwide operation targeting officials and service providers accused of manipulating school repair and maintenance contracts during the 2019/2020 financial year.

Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday, the head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, said the operation followed a lengthy investigation that began in 2020 after reports of irregularities surfaced.

“We had an organised arrest across South Africa. We had arrests in Cape Town, Gauteng, Limpopo and the majority of the arrests obviously here in the Mpumalanga area,” he said.

Nationwide Hawks Operation Targets Inflated School Repair Contracts

The investigation focuses on emergency repairs and maintenance projects at 21 schools. According to Gerber, only a fraction of the work was carried out, while contracts were allegedly inflated and awarded outside proper supply chain procedures.

He said officials are accused of working closely with contractors to bypass procurement rules.

“Now, these contractors then worked with these officials. There were 17 service providers which have been identified and who will be arrested and will appear in court with the 10 officials,” Gerber said.

Among those implicated are senior figures within the department at the time, including the acting Head of Department, Chief Directors for Implementation, the Director for Planning, and the acting Chief Financial Officer. Some suspects are already in custody.

The accused are expected to face charges ranging from theft and fraud to money laundering, as well as alleged contraventions of section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and the Public Finance Management Act.

“We will then have 40 physical persons that we will be arresting. At this stage, we’re standing at 20,” Gerber said.

R114 Million Allegedly Diverted From Rural Schools In Complex Money Trail

Gerber revealed that more than R114 million is believed to have been channelled through what he described as an intricate network of money laundering involving government officials and members of their families.

Funds earmarked for schools in rural communities were allegedly diverted.

“That which was destined for schools in the rural areas was not directed as it should and that is why we’re here today so that these people can account for the misappropriation of these funds and what they benefited out of their processes that they as officials were supposed to serve this country.

“One can just say it is organised fraud and organised corruption,” Gerber said.

He confirmed that the investigation remains active and that further arrests are expected.

The operation “will carry on the whole day and even tomorrow and even in the week,” he said, adding that the Hawks “will not stop until all the suspects have been arrested and are in custody.”

Gerber called on individuals who have not yet been apprehended to hand themselves over, stating that investigators have their contact details and anticipate that some may present themselves with legal representatives in the coming days.

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He described the case as highly complex, requiring detailed forensic analysis of financial transactions spread across multiple bank accounts.

“To prove a case like this is very intricate. We had to do a forensic investigation on the money flows,” he explained.

Gerber also noted that gathering information from various government departments had taken time, as cooperation was not always readily available.

Those already arrested are undergoing administrative processing and are due to appear in court on Monday to apply for bail under Schedule 5 provisions. Suspects arrested in Cape Town, Gauteng and Limpopo are being transported to Nelspruit to face proceedings.