Former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede and her co-accused will be back in court on Thursday in connection with a multi-million-rand waste removal tender.
Also among the accused is the eThekwini city manager Sipho Nzuza.
Gumede and 21 co-accused face multiple charges of fraud and corruption relating to a R430 million 2016 Solid Waste tender.
In September, the state had requested a postponement for a period of three months to finalise a forensic audit report.
During the last court appearance, the court had ordered the State to update the defence teams on the progress of the forensic audit report by November 26.
Gumede’s lawyers are expected to file an application to have the case struck off the roll.
File video on Gumede’s appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s court in September:
ANC MPL
In August, Gumede was sworn in as an African National Congress (ANC) Member of the Provincial Legislature in KwaZulu-Natal.
This, despite Gumede’s on-going fraud and corruption case.
She was removed from her position as mayor last year due to poor performance shortly after her arrest. She did however remain an ANC Councillor in eThekwini.
There has been much social and political response to this appointment and the comments range from the ANC ‘recycling corruption’, to ‘zero ethics’, to the party ‘glorifying’ corrupt members.
KZN provincial ANC spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela says they made the decision in order to stabilise the eThekwini municipality:
