Four City of Tshwane Tshwane officials are expected to appear in court on Wednesday for allegedly siphoning public funds from the municipal account into a private bank account.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Four City of Tshwane officials and a fifth person are facing fraud charges for allegedly siphoning public funds from the municipal account into a private bank account.
They are expected to appear before the Pretoria Specialist Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday.
This follows a probe into alleged fraudulent transactions initiated in May 2023 after suspicious refund payments were detected across several municipal accounts that reflected credit balances.
Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city's forensic unit launched a detailed review of refund processes within the revenue management division, acting on a formal request from the Finance Department.
The investigation, he said, confirmed irregular transactions and identified seven officials as initial suspects.
"Further analysis narrowed the scope to an organised syndicate allegedly comprising four city officials working with external accomplices," he said.
He explained that the group allegedly targeted municipal accounts with credit balances and passed details to partners who submitted fake refund claims, impersonating the legitimate account holders.
Mashigo said the investigation revealed that the fraudulent refunds were ultimately directed into a single private bank account belonging to a fifth person.
"This laundering mechanism enabled the syndicate to extract funds from municipal systems over time," he said.
The city said one implicated official resigned before facing disciplinary action while others became the focus of both internal and criminal processes.
Mashigo said the city referred the matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) upon completion of the internal investigation.
"In collaboration with the city’s Forensic Unit, investigators secured sufficient evidence to charge four officials and one civilian whose bank account was allegedly used in the scheme. The accused are scheduled to appear before the Pretoria Specialist Commercial Crime Court on 4 March 2026, while investigations into possible additional suspects continue," he said.
He said given the seriousness of the charges and the potential impact on municipal integrity and operations, the city has recommended the immediate suspension of the charged employees in line with disciplinary procedures and labour legislation.
"This case highlights the effectiveness of coordinated work between Group Audit and Risk, Ethics Management and Forensic Services and national law-enforcement agencies in protecting public resources and enforcing accountability," he said.
He added that the investigation comes as Tshwane strengthens its anti-corruption measures, including reviews of payroll fraud detection and enhanced financial system controls.
City manager Johann Mettler praised the teamwork between the Ethics Management Forensic Services team and the DPCI, reiterating the city's zero-tolerance policy on fraud and corruption and commitment to seeing the matter through.
Mashigo hailed the investigation into irregular financial transactions involving officials within Group Finance Services as significant progress.
In 2021, the SAPS reported that nine suspects were arrested for fraud involving R53-million stolen from the City of Tshwane after the system was allegedly hacked and cash transferred to various bank accounts.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za