Hawks Sting: Tembisa Hospital Corruption Scandal Deepens as Two Officials Head to Court Over R100,000 Bribe

The legacy of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran continues to shake Gauteng’s health system

Two senior figuresone from within the Hawks themselves and another from Tembisa Hospitalare expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court today, facing corruption charges that add yet another disturbing chapter to one of South Africa’s most shocking public health scandals.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the pair allegedly attempted to bribe a Hawks officer with R100,000 cash in a desperate bid to derail an ongoing investigation into the R2 billion looting at Tembisa Hospital.

It’s a case with all the ingredients of a film: stolen millions, internal sabotage, criminal syndicates and a whistle-blower whose warnings were silenced in the most tragic way.

A Bribe, a Meeting, and an Officer Who Refused to Bend

Hawks spokesperson Thandi Mbambo revealed that the drama unfolded after a DPCI sergeant approached a fellow officer with a suspicious request.

The sergeant allegedly attempted to facilitate a meeting between the officer and a 53-year-old Tembisa Hospital officialsomeone who, according to Mbambo, was prepared to pay “gratification” to prevent prosecution.

The difference in integrity between the two officers could not be more stark.

Instead of accepting the offer, the approached officer alerted the DPCI, triggering a planned undercover operation.

On Sunday, 23 November, the meeting took place.
The Tembisa Hospital official allegedly handed over R100,000 in cashand walked straight into a Hawks sting authorised by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Both suspects were immediately arrested.

The Shadow of Tembisa Hospital’s R2 Billion Scandal

To understand this moment, you have to go back to 2021, the year whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was assassinated just outside her Johannesburg home.

Before her murder, Deokaran had flagged R850 million in suspicious payments at Tembisa Hospitala massive red flag that sparked the Special Investigating Unit (SIU)’s continuing probe.

The SIU’s interim report, released in September, reads like an anatomy of state capture on a hospital scale:

• 2,207 procurement bundles investigated

• 207 service providers implicated

• 4,501 purchase orders linked to irregular procurement

• Three criminal syndicates identified, including the Mazibuko and Maumela networks

• Over R300 million in assets seized

The report alleges that officials “selfishly abused their positions” at every step of the supply chainturning the hospital meant to heal communities into a cash machine for connected operators.

For many South Africans, the fact that a bribe was offered to stall this investigation feels like the perfect summary of how public trust in health institutions was eroded.

A Betrayal From Inside the Hawks

Perhaps the most disturbing part of this arrest is that one of the suspects is a Hawks sergeant.

Acting Hawks head Lieutenant General Siphosihle Nkosi expressed no sympathy for internal offenders.

“Those within the DPCI who involve themselves in criminal activities will be rooted out of the organisation.”

It’s a necessary stancebecause when corruption reaches the very institutions meant to fight it, accountability becomes an uphill battle.

Public Reaction: Outrage, Fatigue, and a Demand for Justice

Online, the reaction has been swift and emotional.

Some South Africans are outraged:
“How many officials are STILL looting after Babita’s murder?” asked one user on X.

Others expressed exhaustion:
“We’ve been reading about Tembisa Hospital corruption for years. Will justice EVER come?”

Civil society groups, including OUTA, have renewed their calls for:

• the suspension of all implicated staff

• criminal prosecution across the board

• strengthened whistle-blower protection

• increased funding for the SIU

• and, notably, a full audit of all 37 Gauteng state hospitals

For communities relying on public hospitals, this is not just a corruption storyit’s a health and dignity crisis.

The Larger Picture: A Fight Far From Over

The arrests may signal progress, but the scale of corruption at Tembisa Hospital is staggering.
The networks are complex, the money enormous, and the rot deep.

What today’s court appearance does show, however, is that the investigations are still active, still pushing forward and still honouring the work of those who tried to expose the truth, including Babita Deokaran.

Her legacy continues to echo through every arrest, every report, every courtroom step.

And if the Hawks are serious about cleaning their own house, this case could mark a turning point.

{Source: Newsday}

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