24/02/2026
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In a decisive, take down operation, the Hawks have arrested 27 suspects, including nine government officials, 14 service providers, and four private individuals, in connection with massive fraud, corruption, and money-laundering scheme that allegedly siphoned more than R100 million from the Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education
In the early hours of Sunday, 22 February 2026, the Hawks in Mpumalanga, supported by the DPCI Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS), Tactical Response Team (TRT), and Public Order Policing (POP), executed a coordinated takedown across the province. The operation targeted 41 identified suspects, among them senior government officials and businesspeople believed to have played key roles in the organised criminal network.
The suspects are alleged to have unlawfully benefitted through inflated contracts and payments, sub-standard services, and in some instances, services that were never rendered, effectively robbing the people of Mpumalanga, particularly learners of critical resources.
The operation remains ongoing, with teams actively pursuing the remaining suspects to ensure that all those implicated face the full might of the law.
All arrested suspects are expected to appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 23 February 2026.
https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=67043
