A City of Cape Town contractor was arrested in a sting operation successfully executed at a shopping centre in Somerset West on Tuesday (3 March).
The dramatic operation took place at Waterstone Village shopping centre, where City manager Lungelo Mbandazayo acted as an undercover agent for the South African Police Service’s Commercial Crime Investigation Unit, putting himself at significant personal risk to expose the bribery attempt.
“During the encounter, the suspect allegedly handed the City manager R1,4 million in cash. The payment was purportedly offered as a bribe in exchange for assistance in retaining the vendor’s contracts with the City and the halting of internal City investigations,” a statement issued by the City disclosed.
Commercial Crime Investigation Unit members immediately intervened during the handover, seizing the cash, a mobile device and a Toyota bakkie allegedly used in the corrupt act.
Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed that the 51-year-old suspect was arrested on-site and is scheduled to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (5 March).
The arrest followed a previous operation at Table Bay Mall in Sunningdale on Thursday 26 February, where the company director offered the City manager R4 million gratification and committed to an initial R2 million cash payment.
The Director of Public Prosecutions authorised the continuation of the controlled operation on Friday (27 February), leading to the successful sting.
The joint investigation began in March 2025 following a whistleblower’s tip about alleged collusion between municipal employees and service providers in tender fraud within the municipality.
The City’s Ethics and Forensics Services Department worked with the police’s Commercial Crimes Investigation Unit to probe the allegations. “With the investigation gaining momentum, more arrests are on the cards,” Potelwa confirmed.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis praised the operation: “I commend the bravery shown by our City manager, who played a central role in a police sting operation by posing as the key figure to attract the suspects to the scene. This demonstrates our City’s zero tolerance approach to those seeking illicit benefit from this government.”
Western Cape police management commended the municipal official’s “bravery and uprightness” in the operation.
The arrest represents the latest success in anti-corruption efforts under Mbandazayo’s leadership since 2018. His tenure has seen National Treasury blacklist over a dozen front companies, preventing underworld attempts to do business with the state.
Police encourage the public to report corruption on the National Anti-Corruption hotline 0800 701 701.
