The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, opened its investigation into alleged tender irregularities and corruption at Tembisa Hospital in 2022, and more than two years later no criminal charges have been brought against Hangwani Morgan Maumela, the central figure in a case involving the alleged theft of 2 billion rand at the hospital.
The Hawks began their work before the Special Investigating Unit was empowered to examine the matter. According to law enforcement authorities, that investigation remains ongoing.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the case demands a multidisciplinary approach. He acknowledged that the Hawks and prosecutors have made some progress, but said details are being withheld so as not to harm the case. Only once the investigation is complete, he said, will the available evidence be assessed to determine whether grounds exist for a criminal prosecution.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale maintained that the inquiry has the necessary support and remains a priority given the seriousness of the allegations. Arrests have already been made in related cases, she noted, with proceedings at different stages of the criminal justice system, including before the courts.
Meanwhile, the state has moved forcefully on the civil side. A year ago, the Special Investigating Unit secured assets with an approximate value of 350 million rand, including luxury properties and supercars. The preservation order itself covered assets worth 503 million rand. Unit spokesperson Selby Makgotho said the curator continues to trace additional properties, assets and funds that may have been obtained through the alleged theft. The assets under preservation include properties in Cape Town, Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal province, along with Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Bentley vehicles.
The High Court in Pretoria this week reinforced that effort. It dismissed Maumela’s urgent application to halt the sale of a Ferrari SF90 Hybrid worth 10 million rand, which is also subject to preservation measures, and ordered the MHR Maumela Family Trust to pay legal costs.
The gap between what investigators have uncovered and what prosecutors have delivered is now drawing scrutiny from Parliament. Ian Cameron, chair of Parliament’s police committee, said the public has grounds to be dissatisfied with the pace of the investigation. He pointed out that the Special Investigating Unit has already uncovered a significant amount of evidence of alleged corruption at Tembisa Hospital, and that assets have been traced and seized. Cameron called on the Hawks and prosecutors to explain the reasons for the delays, without disclosing information that could harm the investigation.
For now, the accountability question remains unresolved. State institutions have secured hundreds of millions of rand in assets and a court has backed their preservation, yet the criminal charge sheet against Maumela remains empty while the Hawks’ investigation continues. Whether prosecutors can close that gap, and how soon Parliament receives the explanations Cameron has demanded, will shape the next phase of a case that has already tested the state’s grip on one of its largest alleged thefts.