An alleged attempt to buy silence from SIU investigators has landed Limpopo councillor Netshivhumbe Gumani in court. The councillor was arrested after allegedly offering a R70 000 bribe to influence a corruption investigation into Mahikeng Local Municipality contracts.
A sitting councillor from Limpopo's Thulamela Local Municipality has been arrested after allegedly attempting to bribe a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigator to derail an ongoing corruption investigation into contracts awarded by the Mahikeng Local Municipality in the North West.
Netshivhumbe, 44, was arrested on corruption charges following a joint entrapment operation conducted by the SIU, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
According to the SIU, Gumani allegedly offered an investigator R70,000 in exchange for ignoring evidence uncovered during an investigation into alleged maladministration and corruption linked to two municipal lease agreements awarded by Mahikeng Local Municipality.
The investigation is being conducted under Proclamation R213 of 2024 and focuses on the procurement and contracting processes related to the following tenders:
