South African authorities have arrested a Hawks officer and a Tembisa Hospital official in a case linked to Tembisa Hospital corruption, following what investigators describe as an attempted bribe aimed at derailing an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities at the health facility.
The two suspects, a Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) sergeant and a senior official at Tembisa Hospital, were detained on Sunday. According to Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, both are expected to appear at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 24 November 2025, on charges of corruption.
Investigators say the sergeant, attached to the DPCI, approached another officer on Friday, 21 November 2025, claiming that a 53-year-old hospital official sought assistance related to an investigation into procurement irregularities at the hospital. The sergeant allegedly indicated that the official was willing to pay a bribe to avoid potential prosecution stemming from the Tembisa Hospital corruption inquiry.
On Sunday, the suspects met with the investigating officer and allegedly handed over R100,000 in cash as gratification. The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit, acting under authorisation from the Director of Public Prosecutions, then executed an operation that led to the arrest of both suspects.
Acting National Head of the Hawks, Lieutenant General Siphosihle Nkosi, commended the officer who refused the bribe and participated in the operation. Nkosi stressed that corruption within law enforcement would not be tolerated and vowed that internal wrongdoing would be rooted out.
Investigations into Tembisa Hospital corruption have been ongoing since financial whistle-blower Babita Deokaran submitted a report outlining suspected irregularities in the hospital’s Supply Chain Management processes. Deokaran was assassinated in August 2021, shortly after flagging unusual tender spending.
Subsequent media reports have linked large-scale procurement abuses at the hospital to alleged tender kingpin Hangwani Maumela, who reportedly spent more than R200 million on luxury vehicles, including a rare R52 million Pagani Huayra Roadster.
The Hawks say they remain committed to ensuring accountability and transparency as the probe into Tembisa Hospital corruption continues.
