SIU Raids Hangwani Maumela’s Luxury Sandton Mansion, Seizes Lamborghinis and Art in R2bn Tembisa Hospital Corruption Scandal
Johannesburg – The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) swooped on the lavish Sandhurst home of businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela on Thursday morning, carting away high-end cars, artwork and furniture in a bold move to claw back assets linked to massive fraud at Tembisa Hospital. This raid marks a key step in recovering millions allegedly siphoned from public funds meant for patient care, shining a harsh light on deep-rooted corruption in South Africa’s health sector.
Maumela, a well-known figure with ties to powerful circles, including being the nephew of President Cyril Ramaphosa through a previous marriage, now faces intense scrutiny over his role in what investigators call a “devastating plunder” of hospital resources. The operation, backed by a Special Tribunal order, underscores the SIU’s push to hold accountable those who profited from dodgy deals that left vulnerable people without proper medical support.
Ngwako Motsieng, SIU senior communications manager, confirmed the action but kept details tight for now. “The SIU confirms an operation took place at a Sandhurst home linked to our Tembisa Hospital investigation. This operation is part of implementing the SIU’s investigation outcomes and consequence management. We will communicate further once the legal processes have been finalised,” he said.
Details of the Dramatic Raid
Law enforcement teams, along with locksmiths and big removal trucks, arrived at Maumela’s upmarket Sandhurst residence in Sandton early on Thursday. They spent hours loading up items believed to be bought with dirty money from hospital contracts. Among the seized goods were flashy Lamborghinis, including a standout Aventador model, pricey designer furniture, valuable artworks and even elements of a massage parlour setup.
The raid ties into a R300 million forfeiture push targeting Maumela and his close allies, part of a wider R820 million asset grab. This haul reflects just how much wealth was built on the back of alleged scams at Tembisa Hospital, where funds for essentials like medical supplies vanished into private pockets. Officials say these luxuries were funded by overpriced or fake deals that drained the public purse.
Neighbours in the posh area watched as trucks rolled out with the goods, a stark reminder of how corruption can fund extravagant lives while hospitals struggle. The SIU has been building this case for three years, using court orders to freeze and seize assets to stop any quick sales or hiding.
Background to the Tembisa Hospital Looting
Tembisa Hospital, a busy public facility in Gauteng serving thousands of patients, became a hotspot for graft between 2020 and 2022. An interim SIU report, released on 29 September 2025, laid bare how more than R2 billion was stolen through fake procurement tricks. Money meant for life-saving equipment, cleaning services and food ended up enriching a few insiders.
The probe started after alarms were raised about odd payments and contract awards that skipped normal checks. Investigators found that rules were bent to favour certain suppliers, with contracts split into smaller bits to avoid tenders and prices jacked up way beyond market rates. This not only wasted cash but also hurt patient care, as supplies ran short or arrived substandard.
SIU head Advocate Andy Mothibi did not mince words, calling it a “devastating plunder of public funds” that broke trust and hit the sick hardest. The full report is still in the works, but early findings show a web of deceit that went unchecked for too long, bypassing every safeguard in the book.
The Brave Whistleblower: Babita Deokaran’s Role
At the centre of exposing this mess was Babita Deokaran, a dedicated Gauteng health official who spotted the rot in 2021. As acting chief financial officer, she dug into hospital spending and flagged suspicious deals worth hundreds of millions. Her forensic report named 14 companies tied to Maumela, which pocketed R415 million through dodgy contracts for things like medical gear and services.
Tragically, Deokaran was gunned down outside her home just weeks after blowing the whistle. Her murder shocked the nation and sparked urgent calls for probes. It led to audits by the National Treasury and the SIU stepping in under a presidential proclamation. Deokaran’s work lives on, providing the roadmap that nailed the syndicates and their tricks. Her story highlights the dangers faced by those who stand up to corruption, and her legacy drives the push for justice.
The Three Syndicates Behind the Heist
The SIU uncovered three organised groups that worked like clockwork to loot the hospital. The biggest, dubbed the Maumela Syndicate, was led by Hangwani Maumela and used a network of 41 companies to grab R820 million in two years. These firms, often fronts, supplied overpriced items like gloves, mops and even catering, with payments routed through layers to hide the trail.
Another group, the Mazibuko network, was also flagged in Deokaran’s report for similar scams. Together, these syndicates dodged alerts by keeping deals under R1 million thresholds, avoiding open bids and using insiders to approve payouts. The third syndicate focused on other services, but all three shared tactics like inflating costs and delivering little value.
This setup shows how corruption can capture an entire system, with politically connected players pulling strings to keep the cash flowing. The total loss topped R2.3 billion, a sum that could have fixed wards, bought medicines or hired more staff.
Hangwani Maumela: The Businessman at the Heart of It
Hangwani Morgan Maumela, often called the “tender don” of Tembisa, built an empire on government deals across provinces. His companies, linked through family and associates, won contracts for medical consumables, cleaning and more in Gauteng, North West and beyond. But probes reveal many were shells, set up to funnel funds without real work.
Beyond Tembisa, Maumela eyed a R1 billion tender for North West hospitals, using firms like Aloo Construction and Supply to bid. His connections, including family ties to the president, have raised eyebrows about how he landed these gigs. The Democratic Alliance has called for wider probes into his North West bids, fearing more public money at risk.
Maumela’s lavish lifestyle – flashy cars, art collections and properties nationwide – now stands as evidence of the gains from these schemes. Freezing orders cover homes in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, plus bank accounts, to stop any asset shuffling.
Legal Actions and the Road to Recovery
The SIU is not stopping at raids. They have court orders to preserve assets worth millions, aiming to return them to the state or victims. The R300 million forfeiture targets Maumela’s direct holdings, while the R820 million sweep covers his wider network. Criminal charges could follow, with the Hawks and prosecutors building cases.
This fits into a bigger fight against state capture in health, where billions meant for the poor get stolen. The SIU’s work here could set examples for other hospitals plagued by similar issues, pushing for tighter controls and harsher penalties.
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