GERMISTON – In a series of events that has gripped the City of Ekurhuleni, Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza finds himself at the centre of a burgeoning scandal following the brutal assassination of the municipality’s chief auditor, Mpho Mafole. The killing, which bore all the hallmarks of a professional hit, occurred just days after Mafole submitted a scathing report into a R1.8-billion chemical toilets tender – a contract that has become a lightning rod for allegations of deep-seated corruption within the metro.
Mpho Mafole, the Divisional Head of Forensic Audit, was gunned down on 30 June 2025, near his home in Kempton Park. He had been stalked for over ten hours by a hit squad that tracked his every movement before executing him in a hail of bullets at approximately 18:00. His death is not an isolated incident; it follows a pattern of violence against those who dare to scrutinise the city’s multi-billion rand procurement deals. Mafole was the second auditor in the municipality to be murdered in less than two years, while a third narrowly survived a similar attempt on their life.
The investigation into Mafole’s murder has taken a dramatic turn with the revelation that Mayor Xhakaza was present at a previous murder scene involving another associate, DJ Bongani Mfihlo. Mfihlo was shot and killed at a Kempton Park nightclub in September 2023. Reports indicate that Xhakaza had spent the night in Mfihlo’s company and was at the scene when the fatal shots were fired. This connection has raised serious questions about the Mayor’s proximity to violent incidents and the individuals involved in the city’s security and political apparatus.
In the wake of these disclosures, Mayor Xhakaza has launched a desperate legal bid to silence the press. He has approached the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg seeking an urgent gagging order against News24. The Mayor’s legal team argues that the reporting is "defamatory" and "unsubstantiated," claiming it is an attempt to "tarnish his reputation and delegitimise his leadership authority." However, investigative journalists have pointed out that the Mayor’s own actions – including public statements that appeared to divert attention away from the chemical toilets tender as a motive for Mafole’s death – have only served to intensify scrutiny.
The R1.8-billion chemical toilets tender at the heart of the storm was a project Mafole had been auditing with meticulous rigour. His final report, submitted just three days before his death, flagged massive irregularities in the procurement process. News24’s investigation revealed that after Mafole’s death, his superiors, including Chief Audit Executive Phillip Rakgwale, allegedly "sanitised and whitewashed" the report, removing the most damning findings before it was presented to the council.
The audit itself was supposed to be a perfunctory exercise, a "probity audit" designed to pave the way for the deal to be awarded. However, Mafole refused to play the role of a rubber stamp. He identified that the procurement system followed was deeply flawed and that the contract was being positioned as a "money spinner" for tenderpreneurs closely associated with local councillors. The irregularities he flagged were not mere administrative errors; they were evidence of a systemic attempt to siphon public funds under the guise of providing essential services to the city’s poorest residents.
"The Executive Mayor views this report not as a pursuit of truth, but as the latest unsubstantiated attempt to tarnish his reputation," a statement from Xhakaza’s office read. He further stated: "It is important to allow due legal processes to unfold without speculation, conjecture, or undue interference which may place individuals in a ‘trial by media’."
Despite the Mayor’s protestations, the police have made progress in the murder investigation. Thabani Goodwill Ntshalintshali, 40, was arrested in July 2025 and charged with Mafole’s murder. In a chilling twist, it emerged that Ntshalintshali was already out on bail for another murder at the time of the hit. Private investigators from IRS Forensic Investigations, led by Chad Thomas, have indicated that more suspects are being sought, suggesting a wider conspiracy involving a professional hit squad. Thomas noted that they have identified more suspects in the assassination, reinforcing the theory that this was a coordinated elimination rather than a random act of violence.
The atmosphere in Ekurhuleni remains tense. Whistleblowers and auditors now live in constant fear, aware that their work could carry a death sentence. The parallels to the 2021 assassination of Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran are inescapable. Both were dedicated public servants who uncovered massive graft only to be silenced by those benefiting from the corruption. In Ekurhuleni, the stakes are equally high, with auditors probing contracts worth upwards of R4-billion, including waste management and vending contracts, in addition to the notorious toilet tender.
The family of Mpho Mafole, who was due to be married shortly before his life was cut short, has expressed their devastation and their hope for justice. They were aware that he was probing corruption and had expressed concerns about his safety. "We were aware that he had been investigating municipal corruption prior to his death," a family representative stated during a court appearance. The sense of loss is compounded by the knowledge that Mafole was targeted precisely because of his integrity. He was "tracked, traced, and eliminated" because he refused to remain silent in the face of blatant theft.
As the High Court prepares to hear the Mayor’s application for a gagging order, the battle for transparency in Ekurhuleni reaches a critical juncture. The question remains: why is the Mayor so intent on stopping the publication of facts linking him to these scenes? For the residents of Ekurhuleni, the "place of peace" has become a battlefield where the cost of the truth is measured in blood. The Mayor’s attempt to "gag" News24 is seen by many as a direct affront to the constitutional right to a free press.
The News24 editorial team has remained defiant in the face of the legal threats. Editor-in-Chief Adriaan Basson has previously stated that the publication will "continue digging into the businesses" and political connections that threaten the integrity of the state. The invitation from the Mayor’s office for journalists to "seek clarification" has been viewed by many as a hollow gesture in the face of an active attempt to suppress the very information they are seeking to clarify. Jeff Wicks and Sikonathi Mantshantsha, the lead investigators on the story, have spent months piecing together the digital forensics and exclusive documents that expose the inner workings of the "Hunted" operation.
The assassination of Mpho Mafole and the subsequent attempts to cover up his findings represent a direct assault on the pillars of accountability in South Africa. As investigative journalists continue to peel back the layers of the R1.8-billion toilet scandal, the shadows looming over the Mayor’s office only grow longer. The truth, much like the irregularities Mafole died to expose, cannot be buried forever.
The city’s Chief Audit Executive, Phillip Rakgwale, has also come under fire. Allegations that he altered and sanitised Mafole’s report have sent ripples of unease through the municipal administration. If the very people tasked with overseeing the city’s finances are involved in covering up irregularities, the entire system of checks and balances has collapsed. This "whitewashing" of the audit report is a betrayal of the public trust and a slap in the face to the memory of a man who gave his life for the truth.
In his public statements, Mayor Xhakaza has tried to distance himself from the murder, even suggesting alternative motives that had nothing to do with the audit. However, these attempts at "mayoral misdirection" have largely failed to convince a sceptical public. The Mayor’s presence at the scene of DJ Bongani Mfihlo’s murder, coupled with his proximity to the Mafole case, creates a narrative that is difficult to ignore. Whether by coincidence or design, the Mayor seems to find himself in the vicinity of violent crime far too often for comfort.
The legal battle in the Gauteng High Court will be a landmark case for media freedom in South Africa. If the Mayor succeeds in his bid to silence News24, it will set a dangerous precedent for other politicians seeking to avoid scrutiny. But for now, the journalists remain undeterred. They continue to follow the money, the shell companies, and the political networks that have turned Ekurhuleni into a "place of fear" for those who stand for justice.
The story of Mpho Mafole is a tragic reminder of the price of integrity in a state captured by greed. He was a man who did his job with "rigour and persistence," only to be met with a hail of bullets. As the investigation continues, the focus remains on those who ordered the hit. The hitmen may be behind bars, but the masterminds – the ones who truly benefited from the R1.8-billion scandal – remain at large, perhaps even sitting in the very offices Mafole was auditing.
The fight for justice for Mpho Mafole is not just about one man; it is about the soul of the City of Ekurhuleni. It is about whether the residents can trust their leaders and whether the truth can still prevail in a city where silence is often bought with blood. The "Hunted" investigation is far from over, and as more details emerge, the pressure on Mayor Xhakaza and his administration will only continue to mount. The people of Ekurhuleni deserve answers, and the memory of Mpho Mafole demands nothing less.
The broader implications for South African democracy are profound. When auditors and whistleblowers are targeted with such precision, it sends a chilling message to anyone considering speaking out against corruption. The failure of the state to protect its own officials is a glaring indictment of the current security apparatus. As the Human Rights Watch recently noted, whistleblowers in South Africa remain "under attack," with the government failing to pass essential legislation that would provide them with the protection they so desperately need.
In the case of Mpho Mafole, the system failed him at every turn. It failed to protect him when he was being stalked, and it failed to uphold the integrity of his work after he was killed. The only thing that remains is the pursuit of the truth by those who refuse to be intimidated. The journalists at News24, the private investigators at IRS, and the grieving family of Mpho Mafole are all part of a collective effort to ensure that his death was not in vain.
As the sun sets over Kempton Park, the site where Mpho Mafole took his final breath, the quest for accountability continues. The "Hunted" investigation has shone a light into the darkest corners of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, and what it has revealed is a city in crisis. The battle between those who seek to expose the truth and those who seek to bury it is far from over. But one thing is certain: the legacy of Mpho Mafole will live on in the reports he wrote and the courage he showed in his final days. The truth will out, no matter how many gagging orders are sought or how many reports are whitewashed.
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