Overview
- Twenty-eight accused appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday, with bail proceedings continuing Tuesday after five were granted bail, including officials Absalom Thela (R50,000) and Ruth Khoza (R5,000).
- The Hawks say 41 arrest warrants were secured in a coordinated operation across Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and the Western Cape, with further appearances expected as arrests continue.
- Authorities allege theft, fraud, money laundering and breaches of PRECCA and the PFMA, reflecting an expansive charge sheet beyond corruption counts.
- The case focuses on emergency repair contracts for 21 schools in 2019–2020 that were allegedly inflated, only partly executed or unnecessary, with service providers hand-picked outside proper supply-chain processes.
- Senior provincial education officials are among the suspects, and the takedown follows protracted forensic tracing of fund flows alongside an SIU investigation authorised by the president.