Two officials arrested for alleged bribery linked to Tembisa Hospital looting scandal

Mapaballo Borotho

Another fire breaks out at Tembisa Hospital — Image: @KayaNews on X

Two officials linked to the Tembisa Hospital looting scandal were arrested for allegedly offering a R100 000 bribe to derail an investigation.
The case is tied to corruption uncovered by whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who exposed large-scale procurement irregularities before her assassination in 2021.
Both suspects will appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday on corruption charges.

Two officials connected to the Tembisa Hospital looting saga are expected to appear before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Monday on charges of corruption.

One suspect is a police official attached to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), while the other is an official at Tembisa Hospital.

Hawks’ spokesperson Thandi Mbambo confirmed that the pair was arrested on Sunday.

“It is alleged that on Friday, 21 November 2025, a DPCI officer was approached by a 41-year-old suspect, a Sergeant from the DPCI. The Sergeant informed the officer that a 53-year-old Tembisa Hospital official wanted to meet regarding an ongoing investigation linked to the hospital. The Sergeant further indicated that the hospital official required assistance and was willing to offer gratification to avoid prosecution in the ongoing investigation,” said Mbambo.

The Tembisa Hospital probe stems from information revealed in 2021 by the late whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who was assassinated on 23 August 2021.

Deokaran, the Chief Director of Financial Accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, uncovered suspected procurement irregularities in the hospital’s Supply Chain Management.

In September 2025, the Special Investigating Unit revealed that R2 billion had been siphoned from the facility through irregular contracts.

Among those linked to the scandal were controversial figures, including Hangwani Maumela, President Ramaphosa’s nephew from his previous marriage, and alleged underworld figure Vusi “Cat” Matlala.

Mbambo says that on Sunday, 23 November 2025, the Hawks member and the Tembisa Hospital official met with the complainant, the investigator in the case, and handed over R100 000 in cash as gratification.

“An operation authorised by the Director of Public Prosecutions was subsequently executed by the DPCI’s Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, leading to the arrest of both the Sergeant and the Tembisa Hospital official,” she added.