The Hawks in Limpopo have confirmed they are investigating allegations of corruption at the Mogalakwena Local Municipality.
This comes days after Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba publicly denied any wrongdoing or irregularities relating to tenders at the municipality.
However, the Hawks declined to name those under investigation.
“We can confirm that the Hawks in Limpopo are investigating a corruption case at the Mogalakwena Local Municipality,” said spokesperson Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa.
“There’s a corruption case that we are busy investigating, but we cannot say it involves those two people. We are currently busy with investigations.”
The municipality has frequently made headlines for alleged corruption and poor service delivery, including inconsistent water supply, deteriorating roads and inadequate sewage management.
The Hawks’ confirmation follows Premier Ramathuba’s dismissal of corruption claims circulating online. A Facebook post shared by a user named Tshepo Ledwaba alleged that municipal manager Morris Montengo Maluleka had claimed he was instructed by Ramathuba and the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Basikopo Makamu, to approve multimillion-rand payments and hire their family members.
“The Office of the Premier has noted with grave concern the reckless and misleading information circulating on social media, initially propagated by a Facebook account under the name Tshepo Ledwaba on August 4, 2025,” said Ramathuba’s spokesperson, Thilivhali Muavha.
Muavha said the account was deactivated following a preliminary municipal investigation.
Similar claims were shared by a Facebook page titled “Mogalakwena Corruption” and a parody X account, @generalmkhwanaz. Posts included screenshots purportedly showing invoices linked to the alleged transactions.
In one post, an account claiming to be Maluleka stated: “I want the public and my family to know about this because anything might happen to me… If anything happens to me, the following people – Phophi Ramathuba and Basikopo Makamu – are responsible, because I have carried out numerous corrupt transactions on behalf of their companies, and I have hired their family members.”
Muavha dismissed the claims as false and insisted the account was fake.
“The Office of the Premier wants to be unequivocally clear: these assertions are entirely false. They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the operational dynamics within government,” he said.
He emphasised that municipal councils and their managers operate independently of the Premier and the MEC.
“Thus, the allegations are not only unfounded but appear to be part of a deliberate smear campaign. Worse, some of the transactions being cited date back to 2023 – before the current Premier assumed office,” said Muavha.
He added that even if a municipal manager were to receive such a directive, they are legally obligated to reject any unlawful order.
Ramathuba has escalated the matter to law enforcement, he said, to trace the source of the “defamatory and baseless” claims and to ensure the municipal manager’s safety.
The Mogalakwena Municipality has also rejected the allegations.
“As the municipality, we distance ourselves from the fake Facebook account that has been circulating on social media platforms since Friday, August 15, 2025,” said municipal spokesperson Malesela Selokela.
“We place it on record that the current municipal manager does not have a social media account. The information in that account is fabricated, misleading and devoid of truth.”
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