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The arrests of Gauteng businessman Mpho Malema, seven Emfuleni employees and Janitha van Reenen Coetzee in separate cases are linked to allegations of corruption first brought to light by slain whistleblower Martha Mani Rantsofu.
Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe told journalists after Malema’s brief court appearance at the Vanderbijlpark magistrate’s court on Monday that the investigations stem from Rantsofu’s execution-style killing.
“We are here, colleagues, because we are looking for the motive for the murder of Emfuleni financial clerk Martha Rantsofu. All these cases emanate from her murder that took place in March,” Mathe said.
“We all know how she was murdered. We’ve seen the videos and the pictures circulating. Right after her murder, the Gauteng political killings task team got involved in this particular case.”
Rantsofu had flagged several alleged corruption schemes at the Emfuleni local municipality. However, no arrests have been made in direct connection with her murder.
Right after her murder, the Gauteng political killings task team got involved in this particular case
— Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe
Malema was arrested on Thursday and charged with corruption, fraud and theft in connection with an alleged R16m municipal tender scam.
According to police, Malema was awarded a tender in 2022 to supply Emfuleni with 18 vehicles, but only seven were delivered.
Mathe said further investigations revealed that another seven vehicles had also been procured but were registered to other municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.
“They are under the Lepelle and Mogalakwena municipalities, as well as the city of uMhlathuze. That amounts to tender fraud, and that is why we are here,” Mathe said.
Before her murder, Rantsofu had flagged the R16m tender.
Malema will apply for bail next week.
Van Reenen Coetzee’s investigation
Van Reenen Coetzee, 25, is alleged to be the mastermind behind a R9.9m electricity reconnection scam in Emfuleni.
She was first arrested on May 20 and rearrested on September 3 following investigations by the political killings task team into alleged fraud and corruption at the municipality.
“She played a major role in scamming both the clients of the municipality as well as defrauding the municipality,” Mathe said.
According to Mathe, Van Reenen Coetzee allegedly posed as an Emfuleni employee and collected money from clients, promising to pay it to the municipality.
However, clients later approached the municipality after noticing that their outstanding bills had not been reduced.
“We are talking about six to seven clients where she would act as an Emfuleni employee and collect money from these clients and promise to pay that money to the municipality. That is when the clients went to the municipality and complained that their bill was not going down,” Mathe said.
Van Reenen Coetzee is charged with corruption.
In the third case, seven Emfuleni employees — David Senekal, Caroline Maduna, Kenneth Mahobe, Hlawutelo Baloyi, Pule Masilo, Andries Maduna and Sibusiso Tshabalala — face charges of tampering with essential infrastructure, fraud, theft and money laundering.
The allegations relate to incidents between February 2024 and June this year, when the municipality disconnected electricity to businesses and residents whose accounts were in arrears.
The accused allegedly approached affected business owners and residents, offering to reconnect their electricity service in exchange for payment.
After receiving money from the complainants, they allegedly unlawfully reconnected the electricity and manipulated municipal records to make it appear that the affected accounts owed less than they actually did.
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