He was arrested alongside Bongumenzi Dlamini (26). Both face corruption charges. The Hawks’ Durban Serious Corruption Investigation team conducted an undercover operation after the service provider reported the alleged demand. Jili was arrested after allegedly receiving the R100,000 from the complainant during the sting.
Escalation during the arrest
During his arrest, Jili allegedly offered investigating officers a further R600,000 to secure his release or influence the situation. He arranged for the cash to be delivered to the Hawks’ offices in Durban. Dlamini was then arrested for allegedly offering that gratification to the officers. The R600,000 was seized as evidence and will be referred to the Asset Forfeiture Investigation unit.
Court proceedings
Both men appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court, where they were remanded in custody. The case was postponed to 27 October 2026 for a bail application.
KwaZulu-Natal acting Hawks provincial head Brigadier Zenobia Mulligan welcomed the arrests, praising the investigators and highlighting the strong working relationship between the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority in the province.
This incident fits a broader pattern of corruption probes involving municipal officials and service providers in South Africa, where officials allegedly solicit kickbacks to process legitimate payments or influence tenders. uThukela District Municipality is based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands (Ladysmith area) and is responsible for water and other district-level services. The case remains before the courts, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
