Hawks Limpopo raid Polokwane Municipality offices
The Hawks in Limpopo conducted a raid at the Polokwane Municipality on Wednesday, amid corruption allegations.
The action follows a court order issued by the Polokwane High Court, which granted the Hawks permission to obtain information and documents in support of a criminal investigation into an alleged corruption scandal at the Municipality.
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There have been allegations of corruption levelled against Executive Mayor John Mpe and Municipal Manager Thuso Nemugumoni.
They are alleged to have benefited from millions of rand in the awarding of tenders at the municipality.
Polokwane Municipality spokesperson Thipa Selala confirmed the operation by the Hawks. He said the municipality cooperated and handed over all the documents the Hawks sought.
“I can confirm that we had visitors here in the form of the Hawks as part of their investigation processes,” Selala told Limpopo Chronicle.
“They were looking for certain documents that form part of their inquiry. I can confirm that the documents were indeed sought. However, I am not in a position to disclose which specific documents they are.
“What I can assure you is that the municipality is fully cooperating with the law enforcement authorities. The way forward for the municipality is clear, and we will continue to provide our full cooperation to the investigative authorities,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Political parties in the province have welcomed the recent developments in the Municipality.
“John Mpe and his crew never thought this moment would come,” said EFF Limpopo Chairperson Lawrence Mapoulo.
“They thought they were untouchable and that they could dribble their way out of the large-scale corruption they were involved in. Even the misguided press conference did not help John and the company to wash away their sins. It was just a matter of time before they were caught in their tracks.”
Meanwhile, ActionSA in Limpopo also expressed its strong support and welcomed the raid.
“We commend the Hawks for their renewed efforts and urge them to conduct a swift, thorough, and impartial investigation to uncover the truth and bring those responsible for any wrongdoing to justice,” said ActionSA Limpopo Chairperson Victor Mothemela.
