Sinenhlanhla Masilela|Published
The municipal manager of UThukela District Municipality has been arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe from a service provider in exchange for processing payment for services rendered to the municipality.
Langelihle Jili, 46, was arrested by the Hawks’ Durban Serious Corruption Investigation team on Wednesday, October 21, alongside Bongumenzi Dlamini, 26.
Both men face corruption charges.
According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, Jili was arrested after allegedly accepting R100,000 from the complainant during an undercover operation.
The matter was reported to the Hawks, who launched an investigation into the alleged corruption.
Mhlongo said that during his arrest, Jili allegedly offered investigating officers a further R600,000 to secure his release or influence the situation.
He allegedly arranged for the cash to be delivered to the Hawks’ offices in Durban.
The officers proceeded with the investigation and arrested Dlamini for allegedly offering gratification to police officers The R600,000 was seized and retained as evidence.
The Hawks said the money would be referred to the Asset Forfeiture Investigation unit for further handling.
Accused remanded in custody
Jili and Dlamini appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court, where both were remanded in custody.
The case was postponed to October 27, 2026, for a bail application.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks, Brigadier Zenobia Mulligan, welcomed the arrests and commended the investigating officers for their work.
She said the arrests reflected the strong working relationship between the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and the National Prosecuting Authority in the province.
“Our members demonstrated that their integrity is beyond reproach when they further charged the accused for offering a gratification,” Mulligan said.
The accused have yet to have their cases finalised in court.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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