Outrage grows as Hangwani Maumela remains free after R326m asset forfeiture in Tembisa probe

Civil society groups have renewed calls for criminal accountability after the Gauteng High Court ordered final forfeiture of about R326 million in assets linked to a syndicate implicated in the looting of Tembisa Hospital, while businessman Hangwani Maumela remains at liberty.

What the court order covers

The final forfeiture order follows a preservation order granted on 14 August 2025 and was granted to the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU). It covers luxury properties in suburbs including Bantry Bay, Sandhurst, Hartbeespoort, Ballito and Three Anchor Bay, several high-performance vehicles and other assets.

Vehicles listed in the order include Lamborghini Urus, Huracan STO, Aventador SVJ and Aventador Ultimate models, a Bentley Continental GT V8, an Isuzu D-Max, plus a luxury boat and a multipurpose trailer.

Civil society: forfeiture not enough

Public Interest SA and Corruption Watch said the state must treat Maumela equally to every citizen and pursue further action where warranted. Public Interest SA said the forfeiture should be part of a broader strategy that includes thorough criminal investigations and, where evidence supports it, successful prosecutions.

“It must form part of a broader strategy that includes thorough criminal investigations and, where the evidence supports it, successful prosecutions of those responsible. Recovering illicit assets and holding perpetrators personally accountable are complementary, not mutually exclusive, objectives.”

Corruption Watch warned that patterns of state inaction in high-profile cases raise concern and said the possibility of political interference cannot be entirely dismissed. Spokesperson Janine Erasmus said recovering public money is important but that individual accountability is equally important.

“That pattern is not just speculation but is a reality, so the possibility of political interference cannot be entirely dismissed.”

Erasmus added:

“We reiterate our view that decisive action must be taken against those involved in stealing R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital. Asset forfeiture is just part of the process and is not a substitute for prosecutions and convictions.”

Allegations tied to the Tembisa probe

The AFU order stems from a probe into corruption and procurement fraud at Tembisa Hospital between 2019 and 2022. The expanded Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation found that Maumela’s wider syndicate network fraudulently siphoned more than R800 million from the hospital.

The National Treasury’s Specialised Audit Services Unit (SAS) and the SIU confirmed that 14 companies controlled by Maumela secured over R400 million in irregular contracts between 2016 and 2022.

The Tembisa matter is linked to the murder of Babita Deokaran on 23 August 2021. Deokaran, a senior Gauteng Health Department official, was killed shortly after blowing the whistle on questionable transactions at the hospital, where her work uncovered businesses benefiting from rigged and overpriced tenders.

Why no arrest yet?

Despite the forfeiture and the SIU referrals, Maumela has not been arrested and has stayed largely out of the public eye. SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho said it is not the unit’s place to comment on arrests and prosecutions and pointed questions to the SAPS, the Hawks, IDAC and the NPA.

The NPA’s spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, said the criminal investigation is being done by the Hawks and is being guided by the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crimes unit (SCCU). He said that once the investigation team is ready they will send the docket to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a decision, but declined to comment further on an ongoing investigation.

At the time of publication, Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale had not responded, and the Gauteng Health Department did not reply to questions sent by the publication.

Family link noted

The reporting notes a familial link between Maumela and President Cyril Ramaphosa through the president’s former marriage: Maumela is the son of the sister of Ramaphosa’s former wife. The president has consistently distanced himself from Maumela and said they have no personal relationship.

Next steps and demands

Civil society organisations have urged authorities to move beyond asset recovery to pursue criminal charges where evidence permits, reiterating that forfeiture should complement prosecutions and convictions rather than replace them.