Cape Town — The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks made good progress in rooting out corruption in sports after the arrest of three former South African cricket players implicated in a match-fixing scheme.
The three players – Ethy Mbhalati (43) Thamsanqa Tsolekile (44) and Lonwaba Tsotsoeb (40) were arrested on 18, 28 and 29 November 2024 respectively for allegedly match-fixing the 2015/2016 domestic T20 Ram Slam Challenge competition, a statement read.
“The arrests come after a meticulous investigation by the Serious Corruption Investigation component of the DPCI, following allegations reported by a whistleblower in October 2016,” Colonel Katlego Mogale said.
Mbhalatai appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court and his matter has been postponed to 20 February 2025. Tsolekile and Tsotsobe were charged with five counts of corruption and both appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 29 November, and their case has been postponed to 26 February 2025.
“The matter was first reported by Cricket South Africa’s Anti-Corruption Officer after suspicions of match-fixing emerged involving former Protea player Mr Gulam Bodi. Investigations revealed that Mr Bodi approached several players to participate in fixing three T20 Ram Slam matches, working in collusion with bookmakers from India,” Mogale said.
#sapsHAWKS The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, has made significant strides in rooting out corruption in sports by arresting three former South African cricket players implicated in a match-fixing scheme during the 2015/2016 domestic T20… pic.twitter.com/IdKlMz2i9y
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 29, 2024
Bodi was arrested in July 2018 and pleaded guilty to eight counts of corruption, receiving a five-year prison sentence in October 2019.
Another former player, Jean Symes, was arrested in May 2021 pleaded guilty to one count of corruption and received a five-year suspended sentence.
The third accused, Mr Pumi Matshikwe who was arrested in February 2022, pleaded guilty to one count of corruption and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
The National Head of the DPCI, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya commended the team for its efforts to tackle corruption.
“Corruption undermines the integrity of sport, and the Hawks are determined to safeguard the values of fairness and professionalism in all areas of society. We thank Cricket South Africa for their cooperation and commitment to addressing this scourge,” Lebeya said.
The DPCI urges all individuals with information on corrupt activities to come forward and report such matters. The fight against corruption is a collective responsibility.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
