Hawks pounce on Nala Municipality housing fraud
Three men aged between 44 and 59 are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 15 May 2025, on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering related to a low-cost housing project in the Nala Local Municipality.
According to Free State Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, the suspects a development officer, a consulting engineer, and a project manager were arrested on Wednesday in Bothaville, Welkom, and Bloemfontein by the Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.
The arrests stem from a 2021 Department of Human Settlements contract awarded to a service provider tasked with building 47 foundations in Bothaville during the project’s first phase. The department paid over R1.1 million for the work, but investigators later discovered that only 14 foundations had been completed.
A Hawks investigation revealed alleged collusion between the service provider and the three municipal officials. The findings were presented to the National Prosecuting Authority, which led to warrants being issued.
Mohobeleli confirmed that the arrest of the service provider is pending.