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Zandile Gumede and her co-accused to appear in court on Wednesday

Zandile Gumede
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Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and her co-accused including five African National Congress (ANC) councillors, businessmen and some municipal officials will appear in court on Wednesday.

Gumede and her co-accused are alleged to have defrauded the city about R208 million through a waste removal tender.

The former mayor is out on R50 000 bail, while four-party councillors arrested late last year are out on R5 000 bail.

Gumede, five ANC councillors, municipal officials and contractors are among 22 people facing fraud and corruption charges in this matter.

Gumede and the former eThekwini chief whip Mondli Mthembu were the first suspects to be arrested in May.

The latest to be arrested were councillors Nomthandazo Abigail Shabalala, Sithenjwa Nyawose, Thembelihle Grace De Lange and Nomsa Mthembu.

They were granted bail of 5000 each.

During the last appearance the prosecution requested a further four months to complete their investigation.

The accused are facing fraud, corruption and money laundering charges.

The State alleges that the initial tender cost was exorbitantly inflated from R25 million to R208 million.

They are also alleged to have manipulated tender processes and split the contract between four inexperienced companies.

In October 2019, the Hawks and the Asset Forfeiture Unit raided and seized assets at the former mayor’s Inanda home, north of Durban.

Attempts by Hawks to have her bail conditions retracted failed, when the court felt it was not her deliberate intention, not to inform the investigating officer of changes in her residential address.

This after Gumede had relocated from her rented uMhlanga home north of Durban.

Meanwhile, Gumede’s supporters are expected to gather outside court to show solidarity with the former mayor.

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