By Marcus Moloko
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured approximately R42.4 million in cash, properties, pension benefits and investments linked to alleged bribes paid to officials at Tembisa Hospital as part of a procurement corruption scheme worth hundreds of millions of rand.
The assets are linked to approximately R100 million in alleged bribes paid by businessman Stefan Joel Govindraju to hospital officials to secure procurement contracts valued at around R600 million.
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The Special Tribunal granted a preservation order preventing the disposal of assets belonging to Zacharia Tshisele, his civil wife Phumudzo Tshisele, his customary wife Fulufhelo Lineth Tshililo, and associated entities and individuals connected to the alleged corruption network.
The order also restrains payments and financial dealings involving several individuals and companies, including Joseph Fhumulani Muthaphuli and former Tembisa Hospital Area Manager Ernest Monnakgotla, who served on the hospital’s Quotation Adjudication Committee.
The SIU alleges that Tshisele and Monnakgotla worked together to divert funds from the hospital through two major syndicates.
The preservation order freezes a pension valued at R1,089,808.32 belonging to Tshisele and includes two properties: a Birchleigh North property in Kempton Park valued at about R1.3 million and a Delmore Park property in Boksburg valued at approximately R820,000.
The SIU’s investigation found that two of the three major syndicates operating at Tembisa Hospital were linked to Tshisele.
One was allegedly controlled by Govindraju through 75 companies that received approximately R600 million from the hospital, while another, operated by Rudolf Mduduzi Mazibuko, used 17 companies and received about R283 million.
The SIU said both syndicates relied on the cooperation of hospital officials to facilitate unlawful procurement.
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Investigators found that Tshisele, who was appointed Operational Manager of the hospital’s theatre in 2017, allegedly abused his position to initiate supply chain processes and confirm receipt of goods, enabling payments to companies linked to the syndicates.
The SIU said he was directly involved in transactions worth approximately R15.9 million, many of which were allegedly structured below the R500,000 threshold to avoid competitive bidding requirements.
The SIU further alleged that funds from the Govindraju-linked network were channelled through a company called Create 10, which financed property purchases, mining ventures and a film project.
The investigation found that R17.5 million was invested in mining businesses and R15.5 million was advanced towards the production of a film titled The Bad Bishop. The SIU also stated that R1.5 million was transferred into the bank account of Tshisele’s nine-year-old daughter.
In 2025, Tshisele signed an acknowledgement of debt with the SIU and has since repaid R13.53 million in four instalments. Manngwe Mining also agreed to repay R17.5 million over a 36-month period.
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The SIU said preservation orders and repayment agreements involving Tshisele and former hospital official Duduzile Nobungwana have increased the total value of preserved cash and assets to approximately R42.4 million. The unit said neither individual is challenging its actions.
The matter remains under investigation.
The SIU has referred evidence of alleged criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action while continuing efforts to recover losses suffered by the state. The referral resulted in the arrest of Govindraju last month on multiple charges, including fraud, theft, money laundering and corruption-related offences.
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