MPUMALANGA — A total of 38 accused, including senior officials and service providers, have been released on bail totalling R1,625,000 after being charged with allegedly defrauding the Mpumalanga Department of Education of R114 million.
They were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on Sunday, 22 February 2026, and Monday. They appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court between 23 and 25 February 2026 on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Thirty-one (31) of the accused were granted bail of R50,000 each, one was granted R30,000 bail, three others were granted R20,000 each, and three were released on R5,000 bail each.
The accused include senior department officials and service providers, including two pastors and private citizens.
An investigation has uncovered that the department awarded tender projects amounting to R114 million. It appears that certain service providers may have been selectively chosen without adhering to the appropriate protocols.
Allegations have surfaced that these providers delivered services of inferior quality, some even received payment for services that were never performed, and others were reportedly compensated multiple times for the same work.
The funds misappropriated from the department were transferred from the accounts of the service providers to various other accounts before ultimately reaching government officials.
Additionally, police disclosed that two additional suspects have yet to come forward and are anticipated to surrender to law enforcement as coordinated with their legal counsel.
All the accused are expected to return to court for their second appearance on 26 March 2026.
This is not the first scandal to rock the Mpumalanga Department of Education. In December 2024, the department spent R2 million on 22 laptops and a printer, with each laptop costing R91,482.50 — almost twice what they are worth on the market.
As a result, the Head of Department (HOD), Lucy Moyane, was suspended and eight officials faced disciplinary measures. Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu pledged to recover the misappropriated funds and hold those responsible accountable.
The investigation uncovered serious misconduct, revealing that officials sidestepped procurement regulations, tampered with product specifications and accepted inferior laptops, with some allegedly pocketing kickbacks. The service provider is set to be blacklisted.
In response to the recent arrests, Premier Ndlovu said these actions are in line with the commitments made during the President's recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“It is worth noting that the arrests complement the President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa’s firm commitment to fight corruption and crime as outlined in the SONA. In addition, building a capable, ethical and developmental state, as one of the three priorities of the 7th Administration, requires a high level of commitment to act in cases where risks are identified to obstruct the realisation of this aspiration,” he said in a statement released on Tuesday, 24 February.
