R5m bribe allegations link elite soccer boss to Mbombela murder cover-up

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is reeling from grave allegations of high-level corruption, bribery, and political interference levelled by one of its own suspended senior officials.

The claims, if proven, point to a deliberate sabotage of a crucial murder investigation linked to a massive infrastructure corruption scandal.

Suspended Mpumalanga police commissioner Daphney Semakaleng Manamela has on Sunday accused Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung of paying a R5 million bribe to senior police officials, including National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, to suppress criminal docket tied to the murder of Jimmy Mohlala, former Speaker of the Mbombela Local Municipality.

Manamela claims the payment was made to make the case, which involved murder and fraud allegations linked to the 2010 Mbombela Stadium tender, disappear.

Mohlala was assassinated outside his home in January 2009, just one day before he planned to lay charges against Motaung for using a fraudulent tax clearance certificate to secure the stadium design contract.

“No one has ever been convicted for Jimmy Mohlala’s murder. Bobby Motaung should be in jail, but he is not. He paid bribes for the case to disappear,” Manamela said in a statement.

She also alleged that suspects involved in the murder of Godrich Gardee daughter were protected by corrupt police officers.

The Mbombela Stadium scandal dates back to 2006, when Motaung company, Lefika Emerging Equity, secured the stadium tender allegedly  under questionable circumstances.

In 2012, Motaung was arrested alongside co-accused for fraud totaling R920 million but was released on bail.

By 2016, all charges were dropped, with the case struck off the roll amid allegations of witness intimidation.

Despite the launch of a political killings investigation unit in Mpumalanga in 2024, Mohlala murder remains unsolved.

Manamela allegations have reignited public scrutiny of the case, raising fresh concerns about corruption within South Africa  justice system.

Police Commissioner Masemola has yet to respond to the claims, which reportedly include a confession from Major General Moukangwe, another senior officer implicated in the alleged bribe.

The National Prosecuting Authority has not commented on whether it will reopen the case following the explosive allegations.

Calls are mounting for accountability, with critics accusing authorities of failing to deliver justice for Mohlala and other victims of political violence in Mpumalanga.

Public outrage is growing, with social media users demanding answers. “Jimmy Mohlala was killed in cold blood, and those responsible are still walking free,” tweeted one user.

Another added, “This is not just about Bobby Motaung, it’s about the rot in the justice system.”

The allegations cast a spotlight on South Africa ongoing struggle against corruption, as pressure builds for transparency and justice in one of the country most notorious political scandals.