City Power seeks to interdict them for R67 million tender raid

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, has revealed that it is still consulting its lawyers over City Power's intention to interdict and set aside the recent search and seizure warrant and raid over a R67 million tender issued by the utility.

In an application on September 28 to the Gauteng High Court, sitting in Johannesburg, the power utility seeks an interim relief from the court in a bid to force the Hawks to return some of the documents that were seized during a recent operation stemming from a November 2024 investigation.

The power utility wants to be granted interim urgent relief as part of its Part A application made out to the Minister of Police, the Hawks, and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.

"Take notice that the application will be made to the above honourable court on Thursday, October 7 at 9.30 am, or soon thereafter, for an order in the following terms: dispensing with the forms, time periods and service requirements prescribed in the uniform rules of court, and enrolling this matter as one of urgency in terms of Rule 6(12).

"Staying or suspending the execution of the search warrant issued on 17 September 2025 in terms of Section 29(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2020, pending the final determination of part B. Directing any items, documents, data, or devices already seized pursuant to the warrant be immediately sealed and preserved, and that no access, copying, or analysing thereof be undertaken pending the outcome of Part B," reads part of the utility's application.

City Power has claimed this operation was unlawful, with the power utility also seeking to have both the warrant and any materials seized during the raid, reported to be linked to an alleged R67 million tender for transformers, to be returned.

It is understood that the Hawks raid is linked to a larger R500 million corruption probe into City Power.

On Tuesday, City Power had given the Hawks until the end of the day to respond, with utility spokesperson, Isaac Magena, adding that it is not opposed to lawful investigations but feels hard done by how the recent operation was conducted.

The matter is set to be heard on October 7 at the High Court in Johannesburg.

Mangena said that the matter dates back to 2024.

"The interdict seeks to challenge the unlawful execution of the warrant and to preserve any material already seized until the court determines the matter. It is important to highlight that City Power is not opposed to lawful investigation, and in fact, we have expressed our willingness to fully cooperate with the investigation, and we have been doing so since November 2024, when the investigations started," he said.

Reacting to City Power's application, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the Hawks only learned of this application on Tuesday, but have yet to respond substantively, having only referred the matter to their lawyers.

"We can confirm that the Hawks received a memo yesterday (30 September 2025), and are still consulting with its legal office to deliberate on the matter," Mogale said.

In Part B of the application, City Power wants the court to review, set aside, and declare the search warrant, which was issued on 17 September 2025, invalid for lack of compliance.

"Please take note that if any party intends to oppose Part B of this application, it is required (a) to notify the Applicant's attorneys in writing within 15 days after receipt of this notice of motion or any amendment thereof."