The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, arrested Anele Mapisa (41), the director of Bright Future 1283 Trading (Pty) Ltd, on charges of fraud, forgery, uttering, and theft. The arrest took place on 22 January 2025, as part of an investigation by the Serious Corruption Investigation team.
According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, the charges stem from a 2020 tender issued by the Amatola Water Board, which had a budget of R250,000 per supplier for the hiring of water tankers. Bidders were required to submit proof of tanker ownership and related documents to qualify. On 27 August 2020, Mapisa, acting on behalf of Bright Future Trading, allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to secure a contract worth over R200,000. Investigations revealed that the tanker listed in the bid belonged to another company, yet Bright Future still received payment for the contract.
Further investigations found that on the same day, R140,000 of the funds was transferred to the company that actually owned the tanker. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) referred the case to the Hawks, who confirmed the irregularities. Mapisa was arrested and appeared in court on the same day. She was granted bail of R2,000, and the case was postponed to 28 January 2025 for transfer to the East London Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
This incident is part of a broader investigation into corruption and maladministration at the Amatola Water Board. In August 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the SIU to probe serious allegations of corruption within the board. Further investigations revealed that the suspended CEO of Amatola Water, Vuyo Zitumane, was involved in manipulating supply chain processes and awarding inflated tenders for drought relief contracts, amounting to R60 million.
