PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The Hawks have dropped their investigation into allegations of fraud, tender rigging and interfering with the tender process against Bitou Councillor Thembela Mhlana.

The charges were laid by a former business associate of Mhlana in 2023, relating to work done on a project to install fibre cabling along the N2 after Mhlana was elected as an ANC ward councillor.

Mhlana was elected as a Bitou municipal councillor in November 2021 and resigned as a director of the company allegedly involved. The investigation found that Mhlana was no longer director of the company when it was awarded the tender in May 2023.

Over the moon

Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi confirmed that, after investigation, the matter was referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), who declined to prosecute.

No proof of tender fraud was found as alleged by the complainant and there were no prospects of successful prosecution.

"I am over the moon," Mhlana said, "because this was humiliating for me … politics is about persuasion".

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