A senior official from the City of Cape Town Municipality rejected a multimillion-rand bribe, leading to an undercover police operation that resulted in the arrest of a 51-year-old suspect and the seizure of cash, a vehicle, and a cellphone.
The investigation began in March 2025 following a whistleblower report alleging collusion between municipal employees and service providers regarding tender fraud and corruption within the municipality. In response, the City’s Ethics and Forensic Services department launched a probe in cooperation with the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Commercial Crime Investigation (CCI) unit.
According to police reports, the operation escalated in February 2026 when the owner of a company contracted to the municipality for infrastructure maintenance allegedly approached the senior official. The service provider is accused of offering a multimillion-rand bribe in exchange for the official halting internal investigations.
The official reported the bribe, allowing SAPS detectives to set up an undercover operation. On 3 March 2026, the official acted as an agent in a sting operation at the Watercress Mall in Somerset West. During the transaction, CCI members moved in and seized R1.4 million in cash, a vehicle, and a cellphone.
The 51-year-old suspect was arrested on the scene and is scheduled to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 5 March 2026, on charges of corruption.
Authorities state that the investigation is ongoing and that more arrests are expected as the probe gains momentum.
