{
  "id": 5066651,
  "title": "Gauteng government defends Arnold Malotana’s appointment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/gauteng-government-defends-arnold-malotanas-appointment",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T09:57:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/gauteng-government-defends-arnold-malotanas-appointment/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Gauteng government has maintained its stance on appointing Arnold Malotana as Johannesburg’s Head of Public Safety, despite the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) continuing to investigate him for alleged involvement in procurement fraud and bid-rigging linked to the Gauteng Health Department and Tembisa Hospital. Elijah Mhlanga, a spokesperson for the Gauteng government, emphasized the country's belief in the principle of innocence until proven guilty, stating that Malotana is currently only under investigation and not found guilty. Consequently, he is permitted to seek employment elsewhere as the investigation proceeds. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has criticized this decision, urging Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to blacklist all government officials currently under investigation for corruption, recommending their names be added to the National Central Register for Verification of Dismissals and Resignations. The DA asserts that allowing these individuals to be redeployed or reappointed in other government positions is a failure on Lesufi's part.",
  "summary": "Gauteng government spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga says all due process should be completed.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}