A total of 41 people, including government officials, service providers and company representatives, are expected to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with an alleged fraud and corruption scheme involving more than R100 million earmarked for school infrastructure.
The case relates to funds allocated for emergency repairs at 21 schools across Mpumalanga during the 2019/2020 financial year.
The Hawks have already arrested 27 of the 41 suspects during a coordinated operation conducted across four provinces. Twenty-one suspects were arrested in Mpumalanga, four in Gauteng, one in Limpopo and one in the Western Cape. The remaining suspects are still being sought.
According to Hawks provincial spokesperson Magonseni Nkosi, the complex investigation has taken nearly five years to complete.
“The case action started back in 2018, 2019 and 2020, but the docket was registered in 2020. We took a solid five years trying to investigate this matter to make it a point that we get our facts straight. As a result, we managed to get the 41 warrants of arrest, of which the National Prosecuting Authority obviously saw the potential for prosecution in such a case. We managed to arrest 27 of the suspects out of the 41,” Nkosi said.
Authorities allege that the accused orchestrated a scheme to defraud the Mpumalanga Department of Education through irregular procurement processes linked to emergency maintenance and repair projects at schools.
The investigation forms part of ongoing efforts by the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority to combat corruption involving public funds intended for essential government services.
The accused are expected to face multiple charges related to fraud, corruption and other financial crimes when they appear before the Nelspruit Magistrat
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