A municipal councillor from Limpopo appeared in the Molopo Magistrates’ Court in Mahikeng on Friday after allegedly attempting to bribe Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigators.
Netshivhumbe Gumani (44), a councillor from the Thulamela Local Municipality in Limpopo, faces corruption charges following his arrest in a sting operation on Thursday.
According to the SIU, Gumani was arrested during a coordinated operation involving the SIU, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Mmabatho-based Serious Corruption Investigation unit, the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, and the Mahikeng Tactical Response Team from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
The arrest relates to an ongoing SIU investigation into corruption and administrative malpractice within the Mahikeng Local Municipality in North West province. Operating under Presidential Proclamation R213 of 2024, investigators have been examining procurement processes and contracting procedures for two high-value tenders awarded by the municipality.
SIU reports indicate forensic data and bank analysis revealed suspicious financial flows from the municipality’s primary service provider to bank accounts of various private companies and individuals.
The state alleges Gumani initially approached an SIU investigator who refused the approach. He then allegedly targeted a senior SIU investigator, offering a bribe of R70 000 in exchange for disregarding forensic evidence compiled against suspects under investigation.
The senior official reported the approach to authorities, leading to the authorisation of an entrapment operation.
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On Thursday 18 June, during a pre-arranged meeting in Mahikeng, Gumani allegedly handed over R10 000 in cash to the senior investigator as an initial payment of the promised bribe. Undercover officers arrested him immediately. The cash was seized and counted at the scene in the presence of independent witnesses.
Investigators said Gumani had also attempted to compromise a third SIU official at the unit’s head office over the preceding weekend.
Following his arrest, Gumani spent the night in police custody before his initial court appearance. The state indicated it would oppose bail, citing the gravity of the offences and the threat posed to state investigators.
The matter was postponed to 29 June for a formal bail application.
The SIU said the operation sends a clear message across all spheres of governance that corruption will not be tolerated and individuals who attempt to corrupt state investigators will face prosecution.
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