Polokwane mayor runs to Court seeking to block Hawks investigation
Polokwane Executive Mayor John Mpe has filed an urgent court application to stop the Hawks from accessing sensitive municipal documents, escalating Limpopo’s latest high-profile corruption saga, according to News24.
The move comes days after Hawks investigators raided municipal offices on September 17, seizing records under a Polokwane High Court order linked to allegations of fraud, money laundering, and tender irregularities worth over R724 million.
Whistleblower documents circulating since July reportedly claim that 28 contracts awarded between 2022 and 2023 were funneled to companies connected to Mpe, Municipal Manager Thuso Nemugumoni, and their associates, with some contracts allegedly involving kickbacks through Mpe’s non-profit, the Makoro Foundation.
Mpe’s lawyer, Kgabo Maponya, told reporters the court application challenges procedural flaws in the Hawks’ probe. “My clients believe the lead investigators were flouting processes in accessing information,” he said, describing the raid as an overreach rather than a targeted “invasion” of the mayor’s office.
Mayor Mpe himself has dismissed the scrutiny as a “political smear campaign” orchestrated by rivals within the ANC and opposition parties, insisting his “hands are clean.”
As the legal challenge unfolds, Polokwane’s municipal governance faces growing public and political scrutiny, highlighting ongoing concerns over tender processes and accountability in the province.