Hawks Sergeant, Tembisa Official Arrested for R100K Bribery Attempt

The Hawks have arrested one of their own, a Sergeant from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), as well as a Tembisa Hospital official for corruption, following an alleged attempt to bribe a Hawks investigator with over R100 000 in cash.

Hawks spokesperson, Thandi Mbambo, alleges that on 21 November 2025, the 41-year-old Sergeant Zacharia Tsisele approached a fellow officer, relaying that the 53-year-old hospital official, Papi Tsie, sought a meeting to discuss an ongoing investigation related to the hospital.

Tsie reportedly offered a bribe to evade prosecution in the case. The meeting was successfully set up on Sunday, 23 November 2025 (yesterday), during which the money was handed over to the investigator.

A duly authorised operation, approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and conducted by the DPCI’s Serious Corruption Investigation unit, immediately led to the arrest of both suspects.

Acting National Head of the Hawks, Siphosihle Nkosi, vowed that the investigation into corruption at Tembisa Hospital would continue without delay and emphasised that any DPCI member involved in criminal activities would be removed.

These arrests occur amid mounting pressure on the Department of Health to blacklist companies linked to the looting of over R2-billion from the health facility.

Tsie and Tsisele appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today, 24 November 2025. The case has been postponed to 2 December 2025.