Police brigadier accused of multi-million-rand fraud scheme; source claims charges lack merit

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a day ago

A senior police brigadier accused of a multimillion-rand fraud and corruption scheme is pleading her innocence, as a close source questions the legitimacy of the charges despite her arrest.
Brigadier Stephinah Mahlangu has reportedly been arrested three times on allegations of fraud and corruption.
Her first arrest, in February 2022, involved irregular PPE procurement worth R1.9 million alongside 14 other officers. In June 2022, she was again taken into custody for allegedly committing fraud involving toner cartridges valued at R960,000, along with two colleagues.
Most recently, on July 30, 2025, she was arrested over claims of fraud and corruption connected to a furniture tender estimated at R79 million.
However, a close source within the procurement division who is known to The Star has refuted the allegations against Mahlangu, insisting that while arrests were made, the charges do not reflect her conduct.
'Brigadier Mahlangu has always been someone who worked strictly by the book and was extremely careful when granting procurement authority,' the source said.
The source further suggested that Mahlangu's refusal to bend procurement rules may have earned her powerful enemies.
'Some senior managers from the head office used to approach her with suppliers of their choice, asking for procurement approval. When she turned those requests down, they were unhappy, and that is why I believe she is now being mishandled,' the source added.
The source also questioned why Mahlangu was being singled out, stressing that as head of procurement, her role was limited to granting authorisations within set thresholds and ensuring that the bidding process was properly followed.
'There are several other processes that take place before procurement authority can even be granted, and Brigadier Mahlangu was never directly engaging with service providers. So the real question is: why, out of all these layers of red tape, is she the one being portrayed as the corrupt person?' the source asked.
The source went on to outline how the procurement process for quotations works, explaining that Mahlangu's office only became involved at the final stage.
'The process is very clear,' the source said. 'First, the end-user activates the need. Once that need is approved, they source three suppliers from the database system. Those suppliers are then approached for quotations.
A submission is compiled with the names of suppliers, together with a request for financial authority (FA) and procurement authority (PA). Only after financial authority is obtained does her office come in at the final stage to issue procurement authority so that the purchase can go through.'
The source further alleged that in September 2022, Mahlangu and another official responsible for finance at Division SCM were suspended over the granting of FA and PA for PPE procurement. According to the source, the approvals had been granted under an emergency delegation by the National Treasury, the former National Commissioner, whose name is known to The Star and three lieutenant generals.
A departmental investigation was later conducted by the Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner, who, in her report, allegedly confirmed that Mahlangu and her team had fully complied with National Treasury regulations.
'Until today, the office of the National Commissioner refuses to release that report because it doesn't favour them,' the source claimed.
The source added that following their suspension, both Mahlangu and her colleague were transferred to the Division Inspectorate in February 2023, where they remain.
The source argued that Mahlangu's repeated arrests were unjust, insisting she was simply carrying out her duties.
'She has been arrested for doing her job. Nowhere has it ever been stated that she received kickbacks from suppliers.'
According to the source, the investigating officer alleged in his statement that one supplier had forged a BEE certificate and questioned why the company was used despite not being a VAT vendor. 'There is no tool within SAPS to verify whether a document is forged or not, yet that was used against Mahlangu,' the source explained.
The source further claimed that the investigating officer once told Mahlangu he had a mandate to arrest her multiple times.
'I believe that, because in 2022, two separate warrants of arrest were both signed in January, but they were carried out at different times. The most recent arrest, there wasn't even a warrant; he simply called them to the police station, charged them, and then they went straight to court,' the source added.
Responding to the allegations, Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the directorate had established prima facie evidence against Brigadier Mahlangu before formally charging her.
He explained that Mahlangu faces three separate and unrelated fraud cases, in which she is alleged to have acted in common purpose with others in the irregular awarding of contracts to various companies.
Mamothame also dismissed suggestions from our source that Mahlangu was being targeted, emphasising that the IDAC does not single out individuals.
'The IDAC has and will always follow due process in bringing the accused and criminal matters before any court of law. The IDAC does not and will not target any individual or entity, save to pursue criminality without fear, favour or prejudice,' he added.
Mahlangu is scheduled to appear in the Pretoria High Court tomorrow (Thursday) to face the charges.
By the time of publishing, both the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) had not responded to requests for comment.
The Star
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