By Mapaballo Borotho
- The Hawks are investigating several City of Ekurhuleni officials over the alleged theft of approximately R2 billion through manipulated municipal IT and billing systems.
- The fraud reportedly involved a hacking syndicate that infiltrated the city’s SOLAR billing infrastructure and illegally reduced debts while processing unlawful payments.
- The scandal has also renewed scrutiny around the murder of municipal forensic audit official Mpho Mafole, who was allegedly investigating the missing funds.
The Hawks are investigating several City of Ekurhuleni officials for their alleged role in the theft of approximately R2 billion, reportedly siphoned through the manipulation of the municipality’s IT and billing systems.
According to media reports, the metro’s IT billing infrastructure, known as SOLAR, was systematically infiltrated and allegedly taken over by a local hacking syndicate.
After breaching the billing system, the hackers allegedly manipulated billing data to unlawfully reduce property debts owed by residents and businesses, while also issuing large illegal payments using taxpayer money.
The fraud, which reportedly took place over several months, was first detected in mid-2023. However, it was only publicly disclosed three years later when the metro presented its findings to Parliament last week.
City officials, including Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, said approximately R2 billion was siphoned from the city by the syndicate, which allegedly gained access to the ICT systems due to a severe lack of basic cybersecurity measures.
Political reactions
In response to the scandal, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the City of Ekurhuleni has written to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), calling for a full investigation into the matter.
“This escalation follows our initial complaint to the SIU in July 2025, in which we raised alarm over the disappearance of the funds and the apparent systemic failures that enabled it. The latest developments, including the Hawks’ investigation and reports emerging from Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), reinforce the urgency of decisive action,” said the DA’s mayoral candidate in the city, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane.
At the time, the DA also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the murder of senior municipal official Mpho Mafole, who, in his capacity as Divisional Head for Forensic Audit, was reportedly involved in internal investigations into the missing funds.
Rasilingwane said allegations that Mafole had compiled evidence linked to the matter underscore the need for a thorough and transparent investigation.
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