The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) have arrested 27 suspects in a large-scale, multi-provincial operation targeting an alleged R100 million fraud and corruption scheme linked to the Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education.
The arrests were carried out in the early hours of Sunday, 22 February 2026, following a coordinated takedown across Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and the Western Cape. Those arrested include nine government officials, 14 service providers and four private individuals, all believed to be part of an organised criminal network that allegedly benefitted from inflated contracts, sub-standard services and payments for work that was never delivered.
Effectively robbing the people of Mpumalanga, particularly learners of critical resources, according to the report by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
Twenty-one suspects were arrested in Mpumalanga, four in Gauteng, and one each in Limpopo and the Western Cape. The Hawks, supported by the Tactical Operations Management Section, the Tactical Response Team and Public Order Policing, initially identified 41 suspects, with operations still under way to trace and arrest those outstanding.
All arrested suspects were expected to appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 23 February 2026.
Mpumalanga Hawks Provincial Head, Major General Nico Gerber, praised the teams involved, stating that the operation sends a strong message that the looting of public funds will not be tolerated.
Those who steal from the state are stealing from our communities, our children, and our future, said Major General Gerber.