The SAPS Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) has arrested the Knysna Mayor, Municipal Manager and Chief Financial Officer in connection with an investigation into alleged corruption relating to a security services contract.

In a statement, police say the arrests follow information received regarding allegations that a businessman who had been awarded a security services contract was being solicited for kickbacks in exchange for the continuation of the contract.

It is alleged that the businessman had already paid hundreds of thousands of rands out of fear that his security services contract would be terminated.

All three face charges of corruption and are due in court on Monday, 5 October 2026.

While police only said the officials were from a “Southern Cape” Municipality, the Knysna Municipality later confirmed in a statement on their Facebook page that “two senior officials and a former councillor were taken into custody by the South African Police Service for questioning earlier this afternoon.”

The Municipality made no further comment.

The Knysna Municipality has been in turmoil for some time. In mid-September, the ANC expelled its Mayor Thando Matika after he registered to run as a candidate for the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the local government elections.

The Deputy Mayor, Morton Gericke, from the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners party, is serving as the acting mayor.

The municipal council’s recent attempts to elect a permanent mayor have reportedly stalled because meetings have repeatedly failed to reach a quorum.

In August, the former mayor and ANC councillor Aubrey Tsengwa was shot and killed in Joodsekamp. Three suspects were arrested and are in court facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and attempted murder, with a fourth suspect later handing himself over.

Less than 24 hours after Tsengwa’s murder, another shooting in Bongani claimed the lives of former ANC Ward 7 councillor Mandla Matiwane and taxi leader Mandla Tyololo, who is also affiliated with the ANC.