SIU recovers R13.5m from Tembisa Hospital nurse
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it recovered R13.5m from Tembisa Hospital nurse Zacharia Chisele who was arrested this week after allegedly attempting to bribe a Hawks investigating officer.
According to SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, the arrest followed an extensive investigation which found Chisele received unlawful payments from various service providers at the hospital between January 2020 and September 2023.
‘In April 2025, the SIU referred the matter to the National Prosecuting Authority, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, and the Asset Forfeiture Unit for criminal prosecution and asset recovery,’ Kganyago said.
IoL reports that he added that this month, Chisele paid R13.5m to the SIU, representing a portion of the proceeds of corruption identified during the probe.
Kganyago said the SIU has so far identified corrupt payments totalling R122.2m linked to officials and employees of the Gauteng Department of Health and Tembisa Hospital.
At least 15 current and former officials have been implicated in corruption, money laundering, collusion and bid rigging.
More suspects are expected to be identified as the investigation continues.
‘The officials range from entry-level clerks to management-level staff,’ he said.
To date, the SIU has prepared 116 disciplinary referrals against 13 officials, including 108 referrals submitted to the Gauteng Department of Health for maladministration and irregular appointment of service providers.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
