New information has come to light in the murder of Ekurhuleni Municipality’s audit boss, Mpho Mafole, linking his death to a corruption investigation into a R1.8 billion chemical toilets tender.
The 42-year-old auditor was shot dead in Kempton Park on 30 June 2024, just days after submitting a report that raised questions about the tender process.
According to a News24 visual investigation, Mafole was followed by four men in a silver Toyota Avanza from his parents’ home on the day of the shooting.
CCTV footage from various points in the city traced the suspects’ movements as they shadowed him. The footage showed the vehicle blending in with e-hailing cars outside a hotel where the suspects waited before the attack.
Moments before the shooting, Mafole called his fiancée. It was the last call he made before being ambushed.
The investigation revealed that the assassins tracked his route through surveillance cameras positioned around Ekurhuleni, confirming that the killing was planned in advance.
On 20 July 2024, the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested 33-year-old Thabani Ntshalintshali in connection with the murder.
Police also identified another suspect, Hlanganani Agripper Mncwango, who remains at large. Investigators confirmed that the vehicle used in the killing belonged to Mncwango and has not yet been recovered.
Ntshalintshali appeared in the Kempton Park Regional Magistrates’ Court on 14 October 2024 and was due to return to court on 31 October.
Police later linked Mafole’s case to the 2023 murder of DJ Bongani Mfihlo, who was killed in a similar fashion in Kempton Park.
Separate findings from Central News South Africa indicate that Mafole’s murder is believed to be tied to his investigation into irregularities within the R1.8 billion Ekurhuleni chemical toilet tender.
Chad Thomas, the lead investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, confirmed that his firm, representing Mafole’s family, has identified more suspects possibly involved in commissioning the assassination.
Thomas said the contract Mafole was probing was riddled with manipulation. Shelf companies—businesses that exist only on paper—were allegedly used to channel public money.
“One company is chosen and told what to charge. Other front companies submit higher bids or get disqualified to make sure the preferred bidder wins,” Thomas explained .
He also revealed that the arrested hitman, Ntshalintshali, was already out on R5,000 bail for a separate murder case from 2023.
“We are going to be at the courts on Friday with the family once again opposing bail,” Thomas said.
IRS is continuing to work with SAPS and the Hawks to identify the masterminds behind the hit.
The report Mafole filed on 26 June 2024, four days before his death, reportedly flagged serious procedural lapses, possible conflicts of interest, and legal flaws in how the tender was awarded.
These findings threatened to expose a network of officials and private contractors who allegedly benefited from inflated contracts dating back to 2019.
Mafole had joined the Ekurhuleni Municipality only three months before his murder but had more than ten years of experience at the Auditor-General’s office.
His family, together with IRS, continues to push for the public release of his audit report and for lifestyle audits of officials linked to the tender.
