BELA-BELA, LIMPOPO – In a significant development, a Hawks captain and a brigadier have been arrested and charged with corruption, underscoring the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (DPCI) commitment to rooting out graft within its own ranks.
On Thursday, July 24, 2025, Captain Virginia Kupa, 41, attached to the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks’ Priority Crime Management Centre, was taken into custody. She appeared before the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo alongside her co-accused, Brigadier (Dr.) Mapome Mohajane, 54, who is stationed at the Hawks Head Office.
The charges stem from an alleged incident on January 14, 2022. Captain Kupa, then based at the Head Office Priority Crime Management Centre, is accused of facilitating a meeting between Brigadier Mohajane and a fellow police officer, who was previously unknown to Mohajane.
During this meeting, Mohajane allegedly sought the complainant’s assistance in interfering with a criminal investigation involving a Limpopo councillor.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo stated, “In return, Mohajane allegedly promised tenders, future favours, and a possible promotion at the police Head Office, by leveraging purported connections, to influence the complainant.”A comprehensive investigation led to Brigadier Mohajane’s initial arrest on January 15, 2025.
Further developments in the case subsequently led to Captain Kupa’s arrest. Captain Kupa was granted bail of R3,000.The case has been postponed to August 26, 2025, for further investigation.
Lieutenant General (Dr/Adv) Godfrey Lebeya, the National Head of the Hawks, emphasized the significance of these arrests. “I commend the investigations by the Serious Corruption Investigation, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Head Office.
The fact that we have arrested one of our own is a clear indication that we execute our work without fear, favour or prejudice,” he stated, highlighting the Hawks’ zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
