“In September. That’s the time frame we are working with.” That was what the NPA’s head of Investigative Directorate Hermione Cronje said when asked in August when we could expect the arrest of high profile individuals involved in state capture corruption.

This week, on the last day of September, the Hawks pounced on six people implicated in one of Free State’s biggest corruption scandals. Businessman Edwin Sodi, former Mangaung mayor Olly Mlamleli, former head of department Nthimotse “Tim” Mokhesi, and a former head of supply chain were some of those nabbed on Wednesday in connection with the asbestos contract from which money was siphoned...