SIU hunts eight luxury cars allegedly hidden by Tembisa Hospital tender suspect Hangwani Maumela

Ask AI 3minThe SIU says a Special Tribunal preservation order covers cash, property, pensions and investments allegedly linked to bribery and procurement fraud at Tembisa Hospital.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is intensifying efforts to R9.5m Ferrari linked to Hangwani Maumela could be sold after court ruling as part of its investigation into corruption and maladministration at Tembisa Hospital.

The SIU-appointed curator is pursuing information about the whereabouts of the vehicles, including a Bentley allegedly hidden at a property in Midrand, Johannesburg.

The operation follows an anonymous whistleblower report alleging that the Bentley, which belongs to Maumela, had been concealed at a property reportedly belonging to one of his associates.

The curator and the investigation team visited the property on Friday, October 30, to establish whether the vehicle was there. However, the SIU confirmed that the Bentley was not found at the premises.

The eight outstanding vehicles the curator is seeking to locate comprise four Ferraris, three Porsches and one Bentley.

The SIU said the curator would continue efforts to trace all eight vehicles in accordance with previous court orders directing that they be placed under the curator’s control.

In October 2025, the Special Tribunal issued an order directing individuals linked to what has been described as the “Maumela Syndicate” to provide a full and frank written disclosure, under oath, of all their property and assets.

The disclosure was required to include movable and immovable property, funds, debts and claims, as well as assets in which the respondents held registered or beneficial ownership or any other legal interest.

The order forms part of the SIU’s efforts to preserve assets allegedly linked to the syndicate and ensure that property potentially connected to wrongdoing is not disposed of or concealed.

Last year, the SIU secured an order to preserve assets valued at approximately R900 million linked to the Maumela Syndicate.

According to the latest statement, the curator is continuing to trace and preserve additional properties, assets and funds to give effect to the preservation order, which is valued at R503 million.

The search for the vehicles forms part of the SIU’s broader investigation into alleged corruption and procurement fraud at Tembisa Hospital.

In September 2025, the SIU released an interim investigation report revealing that more than R2 billion was allegedly looted through three major syndicates operating within the Gauteng healthcare system.

The investigation examined 4,501 purchase orders involving 207 service providers, with the total value of transactions under investigation exceeding R2.04 billion.

Maumela was identified as the figure linked to one of the syndicates, which investigators said was connected to 41 suppliers and service providers.

The SIU identified 1,728 procurement bundles worth approximately R816.5 million linked to the Maumela Syndicate.

Investigators also identified assets worth approximately R520 million linked to Maumela, including luxury properties and vehicles.

The investigation was initially triggered by information uncovered by the late Gauteng Department of Health financial officer Babita Deokaran, who raised concerns about suspicious payments and procurement irregularities at Tembisa Hospital.

Deokaran was assassinated outside her Johannesburg home on August 23, 2021, shortly after flagging suspicious transactions involving companies doing business with the hospital. Her disclosures helped expose the alleged corruption network.

In a related development, the Special Tribunal in August 2026 authorised the sale of a Ferrari SF90 Stradale linked to Maumela, with a minimum selling price of R9.5 million.

Tribunal president Judge Bernard Makgabo Ngoepe dismissed an attempt by Maumela, his associates and his mother, Mboneni Benedicta Maumela, to prevent the sale.

The curator had argued that selling the vehicle would help preserve the value of the estate because the Ferrari was incurring substantial storage, insurance and maintenance costs.

The tribunal ruled that the proceeds should be deposited into a special interest-bearing trust account and used only for the maintenance of assets under curatorship, subject to the SIU’s approval.

The SIU said it was continuing to trace and preserve additional properties, assets and funds to give effect to the preservation orders.

Under the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, the unit is empowered to obtain bank statements and cellphone records, search and seize evidence, and question witnesses under oath.

It can also institute civil proceedings in the High Court or Special Tribunal to recover financial losses suffered by the State. Evidence pointing to possible criminal conduct will be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action.