A senior official at Mkhondo Local Municipality has been arrested in connection with an alleged price-fixing scandal dating back to 2019.

Sydney Masango (46), Senior Manager for Public Safety, was taken into custody by the Hawks’ Middelburg-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit on 28 August 2025. His alleged accomplice, company director Gugulethu Zulu (48), was arrested on the same day at a filling station in Piet Retief.

The arrests relate to the repair of a municipal road-marking machine that was damaged in 2019. Investigations revealed that while the actual service provider charged only R718.20 for the repair, an inflated invoice of R85 875.00 was submitted to the municipality.

According to the Hawks, Masango was responsible for arranging the repairs and authorised the payment. Zulu, through his company Legent 12, allegedly received the inflated funds into his business account after colluding in the scheme.

Following a lengthy probe, investigators uncovered evidence linking both men to the fraudulent transaction, which resulted in the alleged theft of municipal funds.

Masango was arrested at his municipal offices, while Zulu was apprehended in Piet Retief. The duo appeared in the Mkhondo District Court shortly after their arrests, where they were each released on R4 000 bail. The case was postponed to 6 October 2025 for the setting of a regional court trial date.

Brigadier Bruce Davenport, Acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, praised the team’s work.

“We once again warn the public that the Hawks will always seek, find, and strike at the right time,” Brigadier Davenport said.

The arrests underscore ongoing efforts by law enforcement to root out corruption and financial misconduct within municipalities across Mpumalanga.