Twenty-six government officials, including two heads of districts from the KwaZulu-Natal agriculture department, have been arrested for fraud totalling R1,1-million, police said on Wednesday.
Superintendent Vish Naidoo said the officials were arrested on Monday and Tuesday following a year-long forensic audit investigation that implicated 46 officials, including three heads of districts.
The affected areas are Vryheid, Nongoma, Babanango, Empangeni and Eshowe.
More officials, including the third head of district, are expected to be arrested on Wednesday, Naidoo said.
The first 15 people — including Vryheid district head CN Sithole — were arrested on Monday and another 11 — including Eshowe district head NL Mthembu — were arrested on Tuesday.
The 26 appeared in the Vryheid, Empangeni and Mhlabathini magistrate’s courts on Monday and Tuesday and were granted bail of between R1 500 and R5 000 each.
Sithole and Mthembu were granted bail of R4 500 and R5 000 respectively, Naidoo said.
All 26 are to appear in the Durban Regional Court on November 26. — Sapa