Polokwane mayor takes Hawks to court over R724m tender probe

 Polokwane Executive Mayor John Mpe, who is challenging the Hawks’ R724 million tender probe in court.

image: Facebook

by Kelebogile Matlou

Polokwane Executive Mayor John Mpe has filed an urgent court request to block the Hawks from obtaining critical municipal papers, escalating Limpopo’s latest high-profile corruption case. 

This follows a raid by Hawks detectives on September 17, when municipal offices were searched and records seized in accordance with a Polokwane High Court order related to charges of fraud, money laundering, and tender irregularities totaling more than R724 million. 
Whistleblower documents obtained in July suggest that 28 contracts awarded between 2022 and 2023 were directed to organizations associated with Mpe, Municipal Manager Thuso Nemugumoni, and their close associates. Some contracts were reportedly linked to kickbacks channeled through Mpe’s non-profit organization, the Makoro Foundation.

Mpe’s lawyer, Kgabo Maponya, said that the court request is based on procedural faults in the Hawks’ investigation, and that the raid was an overreach rather than a valid investigation. “My clients believe the lead investigators were flouting processes in accessing information,” he said. 

Mayor Mpe has denied the charges, calling it a “political smear campaign” by competitors in the ANC and opposition parties, and insisting that his “hands are clean.”  As the court battle continues, Polokwane’s municipal governance is under increasing public and political pressure, reigniting concerns about tender processes and accountability in Limpopo.