The senior cop, who was arrested on Monday, has been charged with corruption, fraud, theft and money laundering for her part in the multi-million-dollar fraud, the police said.
The SAPS fell victim to its own ring of senior police officers led by former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane in the corrupt tender deal.
Phahlane was arrested in 2017 alongside other senior police officers, who were also slapped with various multiple charges over the scandal.
Mgwenya, ranked as lieutenant general in the SAPS, is the 12th cop to be nabbed for the alleged theft of state funds.
Allegations against Mgwenya and her co-acused are that they allegedly received state funds amounting to US$11 million to pay for emergency warning equipment for the police force sometime in 2017.
They, however, only paid US$4 million and pocketed the rest.
Following the arrest, Police Minister Bheki Cele quickly announced the launch of a hotline for the public to use to make urgent complaints against police officers’ misconduct.
The hotline, to be managed by the country’s Independent Police Investigative Directorate, has a toll-free number that would see the public expeditiously lodge misconduct complaints against police officers, Cele said.
“I urge all South Africans to use this number wisely and responsibly. Report officers who sleep on duty. Report officers who turn away victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence at police stations,” he said.
The minister said while he was confident that the majority of police officers “were hardworking, dedicated and honest, there were rogue elements that disgrace the badge.”