Hawks arrest 37-year-old in Tembisa Hospital tender fraud probe at OR Tambo

The Hawks have arrested a 37-year-old suspect at OR Tambo International Airport as part of their ongoing investigation into the multimillion‑rand tender fraud linked to Tembisa Hospital.

Arrest at OR Tambo

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the arrest was carried out by the unit’s Serious Corruption Investigation team when the man returned from an overseas trip. The arrest took place on 28 August, the Hawks said.

Charges and next court appearance

The suspect is expected to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He faces charges related to fraud, corruption and money laundering, the Hawks added.

Allegations in the Tembisa Hospital probe

The cases linked to Tembisa Hospital allege fraud, corruption, forgery and/or uttering, contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), and money laundering. Investigators say certain hospital officials colluded with service providers to exploit the Request for Quotations system by keeping procurement transactions below the R500 000 threshold to circumvent the formal tender process.

How the matter surfaced

The matter was brought to light by whistleblower Babita Deokaran. Deokaran, a senior Gauteng health official, was gunned down outside her home in August 2021 after exposing irregular tenders at Tembisa Hospital.

Findings and convictions

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) later confirmed that more than R2.04 billion was stolen through 207 front companies and nine syndicates. Six hitmen convicted for Deokaran’s murder are serving sentences ranging from six to 22 years.

Calls for further accountability

On the fifth anniversary of Deokaran’s killing, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said her “ghost still haunts the corrupt” and warned that those suspected of ordering her murder remain untouched. Neeshan Balton, the foundation’s executive director, noted that while the six hitmen were convicted in 2023, others allegedly responsible for ordering the assassination have not been held to account.

The Hawks say their Serious Corruption Investigation unit continues to pursue all leads in the Tembisa Hospital procurement probe as part of efforts to bring those involved to book.