City Manager leads sting operation in tender corruption probe
04 March 2026
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has commended City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo for his bravery in support of a SAPS sting operation yesterday, 3 March.
The 3 March sting operation formed part of an ongoing joint investigation between the City of Cape Town and the South African Police Service (SAPS) Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (CCI) into fraud and corruption involving a company which is a contracted vendor to the City.
CCI members, supported by the City Manager acting as an agent of the operation and with significant personal risk, executed the planned sting at the Waterstone Village in Somerset West. During the encounter, the suspect allegedly handed the City Manager R1,4 million in cash. The payment was purportedly offered as a bribe in exchange for assistance in retaining the vendor’s contracts with the City and the halting of internal City investigations.
CCI officers immediately intervened, seizing R1,4 million in cash, a mobile device and a Toyota bakkie believed to have been used during the commission of the alleged corrupt act. The suspect was arrested on-site and subsequently detained at Bellville SAPS. He is scheduled to appear in the Bellville Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
‘I commend the bravery shown by our City Manager, who played a central role in a SAPS sting operation yesterday by posing as the key figure to attract the suspects to the scene.
‘This is another demonstration of the extraordinary leadership that characterises our City’s daily pursuit of good governance and zero tolerance approach to those seeking illicit benefit from this government.
‘We welcome the arrest made as a result of this dynamic operation and will continue to support SAPS in ensuring successful prosecutions,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
The sting on 3 March was preceded by a Section 252A operation on 26 February executed at the Table Bay Mall, Sunningdale, where the company director approached the City Manager and requested his assistance in halting the City’s internal investigation processes. In return, the director offered gratification of R4 million and committed to an initial payment of R2 million in cash.
On 27 February 2026, the Director of Public Prosecutions authorised the continuation of the controlled operation, with the City Manager acting as authorised agent for the successful sting operation in Somerset West yesterday.
As investigations continue, additional arrests of alleged accomplices are anticipated.
The latest arrest is the culmination of a joint investigative process which began in March 2025 following a whistleblower’s tip-off. Due to the scope and seriousness of the allegations, the investigation was conducted jointly by the City’s Ethics and Forensics Services Department and SAPS Commercial Crimes (CCI), Western Cape.
Mr Mbandazayo has served as City Manager since 2018, and was reappointed for a second term under Mayor Hill-Lewis in 2022. His tenure has been defined by the ongoing evolution of Cape Town’s robust good governance practices. He has further ensured National Treasury’s black-listing of over a dozen front companies for the underworld, thwarting their attempts to do business with the state.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
