Great confusion and wild speculation about the future of several senior members of the Thulamela Local Municipality reigned on Monday afternoon after members of the Hawks were seen entering the municipality’s offices. It turned out they were merely returning some of the equipment confiscated last Tuesday (3 September).

During last week’s raid, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) seized electronic equipment, such as laptops and cell phones, from some senior municipal managers. The raid was part of an investigation into a R61 million project to upgrade roads in the municipal area.

When the same managers whose equipment had been confiscated were contacted by the Hawks, some municipal personnel began spreading rumours that arrests were being made.

In a statement released shortly after last week’s raid, the Thulamela Municipality expressed hope that the Hawks' investigation would provide much-needed clarity. The municipality’s spokesperson, Mr Nndwamato Tshiila, clarified that they had only received R35 million from National Treasury, not the R61 million that had been reported.

Speaking to Limpopo Mirror on Tuesday morning, Tshiila said the Hawks had visited the municipality on Monday to return the electronic equipment, not to arrest anyone. “It was difficult for the senior managers to work without their equipment as all their work information is stored on those devices. Now that their gadgets are back, it’s all systems go for them to continue working as usual,” he said.

According to a source familiar with the municipality’s contract-awarding processes, there were suspicions that some senior officials were soliciting bribes from contractors. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that the municipality uses a method referred to as the "As and When" method. This method involves selecting a panel of contractors who are always available to respond to urgent projects. The source noted that this is not an uncommon practice.

"It means that if there’s an urgent project, like fixing dangerous potholes, they don’t have to advertise a tender and go through a bidding process, as that would take too long. In such cases, they choose service providers from the listed panel of contractors to do the job,” he explained.

It is alleged that only one company was selected for the recent multi-million-rand road project, causing considerable unhappiness. The Hawks were called in to investigate.

The Hawks' spokesperson in Limpopo, W/O Lethunya Mmuroa, confirmed that all the electronic equipment was returned on Tuesday. Speaking to Limpopo Mirror on Wednesday morning, he said they needed the information for their ongoing investigation. “Our investigations continue,” he added.

Meanwhile, DA councillor Thelma Marole stated that they had been raising concerns about alleged corruption at the Thulamela Municipality since last year, but their concerns were ignored. She expressed optimism that the Hawks' investigation would shed more light on the issue.