The City of Cape Town has confirmed that it has terminated all contracts with Triple C Maintenance and Services after the company’s owner, Shaun Roos, allegedly attempted to bribe a City official with R4 million to reinstate lucrative municipal tenders.
This comes as Roos, 56, appeared in court on Thursday following his arrest in an undercover police operation. He is accused of trying to bribe City manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo, with R4 million to influence the outcome of an investigation linked to municipal contracts worth about R1.6 billion that had been awarded to Triple C Maintenance and Services.
Undercover Operation
Court documents state that the accused allegedly arranged a meeting with Mbandazayo in February at Table View Mall, where he offered the City official a bribe of R4 million in order for the said City Manager to assist in reinstating and approving the tenders that were previously allocated to Triple C.
Investigations into the matter had been underway for several months, with detectives from the South African Police Service Commercial Crime Investigation unit conducting a coordinated search-and-seizure operation at 26 addresses linked to the company in September 2025. The addresses included business premises, private homes of municipal officials, and locations associated with individuals and entities that had been awarded contracts by the municipality, as outlined on the South African Police Service website.
Corruption Charge
On March 3, an undercover operation was carried out at Watercress Mall in Somerset West, with Mbandazayo acting as an agent. During the operation, police seized R1.4 million, a vehicle, and a cellphone from the suspect identified as Roos. He later handed himself over to police and made his first appearance in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on March 5, facing a Schedule 5 charge of corruption, which is defined by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development as a serious offence.
The City confirmed it had taken action against the company involved, with the City’s Ethics and Forensics Department and the South African Police Service conducting a joint investigation. The City said it had terminated all contracts held by Triple C with the municipality, which are mostly construction-related and include road maintenance, resurfacing, and stormwater infrastructure.
The decision to terminate was made in the context of an ongoing investigation by the City’s Ethics and Forensics Department and the SAPS. The case was postponed to March 23 for Roos’ bail application.
Some of the key points in the case include:
- Roos allegedly attempted to bribe Mbandazayo with R4 million
- The bribe was allegedly offered to influence the outcome of an investigation into municipal contracts worth R1.6 billion
- The City has terminated all contracts with Triple C Maintenance and Services
- Roos faces a Schedule 5 charge of corruption
