Emalahleni, Mpumalanga — Two senior officials from the Emalahleni Local Municipality will be spending the night behind bars after being arrested for corruption involving a suspected R500,000 kickback scheme.
The Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs), aged 54 and 55, were nabbed on Wednesday at Witbank Dam by the Middelburg-based Serious Corruption Investigation Unit. The arrest followed a R20,000 bribe allegedly paid as part of a shady deal to secure the extension of a lease agreement.
Authorities say the R20,000 was part of a larger R500,000 amount, with a previous R40,000 payment made in February 2025. The two officials allegedly split the money evenly between them.
“The suspects were caught in possession of the bribe money,” said an official close to the investigation. “Two luxury vehicles believed to have been used in the commission of the crime have also been seized.”
The arrests mark another chapter in South Africa’s ongoing battle against municipal corruption, especially as public trust continues to erode in local government structures.
The duo is expected to appear in the Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 17 April 2025, where they will face charges related to bribery, corruption, and possible abuse of office.
