Over the past few years, the Theewaterskloof Municipality has frequently made headlines regarding mismanagement, corruption, staff appointments, and violence during meetings. But now, corruption within the TWK has taken a new turn after President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the purchasing of 14 backup generators for boreholes and water pump stations in the TWK Municipal area.
The SIU investigation was launched under Proclamation 339 of 2026, which gives the unit the authority to probe allegations of serious maladministration, corruption, irregular expenditure and the unlawful or improper loss of public funds at the municipality.
According to the SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho, the investigation will scrutinise the procurement and contracting processes around the supply, delivery and installation of generators during the 2022-’23 financial year. “We will be looking closely at how these contracts were awarded and executed,” he said. The financial year was also the time when the PA/Good and ANC coalition was in charge.
This investigation will focus especially on the boreholes and pump stations in mainly all the towns in the TWK municipal area that includes Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Greyton, Botrivier, Riviersonderend, Caledon, Genadendal and Tesselaarsdal.
According to Makgotho the investigation would determine whether the purchasing and payment of the generators were fair, competitive, transparent, equitable and cost-effective.
“This is not the only thing we will focus on. We will also examine whether the procurement process complied with applicable legislation and the relevant manuals, guidelines, practice notes, circulars and instructions issued by either the National Treasury or the Provincial Treasury,” he said.
Recover losses
They will further investigate any improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees of the municipality, the service providers concerned, or any other person or entity, in relation to the allegations occurring between 1 October 2022 and 21 August 2026.
Makgotho stated further that in terms of the Special Tribunal Act, 1996 (Act No. 74 of 1996), the SIU is empowered to investigate the allegations, institute civil proceedings in the Special Tribunal, and take steps to recover any financial losses suffered by the State.
With a long history of corruption and bad management hanging over the TWK Municipality like a dark cloud, the ratepayers welcome this investigation. “It is about time the national government intervenes. While officials drive around in fancy cars, draw fat salaries, and squabble among themselves, the taxpayers suffer,” one resident said on Facebook.
Improving service delivery in the TWK
Hermanus Times published an article on NovaNews on 18 August about the Western Cape Government’s commitment to stabilising governance and improving service delivery in the TWK.
The MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said recently the province recognises the concerns relating to governance, service delivery and water security in the municipality. He was responding to questions in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.
“The people of Theewaterskloof deserve a municipality that is well governed, accountable and able to deliver reliable basic services. Our approach is therefore not simply to respond to individual crises, but to address the underlying institutional and infrastructure challenges that affect sustainable service delivery,” Bredell said.
TWK is currently under a formal provincial financial intervention pursuant to Section 139(5) of the Constitution, triggered by severe financial distress and a sharp drop in revenue collection.
While the provincial government stopped short of appointing an external administrator to run day-to-day operations initially, the municipality operates under strict mandatory financial recovery plans overseen closely by the Western Cape Provincial Treasury and National Treasury.
