Former eThekwini Mayor, Zandile Gumede and her co-accused – including four ANC councillors, businessmen and some municipal officials – will appear in court on Wednesday.
Gumede, four ANC councillors, municipal officials and contractors are facing fraud and corruption charges. They are alleged to have defrauded the city of about R208 million through a waste removal tender.
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 last year, the Hawks and the Asset Forfeiture Unit raided the former mayor’s Inanda home, north of Durban, and seized assets.
The former mayor is out on R50 000 bail, while the four councillors, arrested late last year, are out on R5 000 bail each.
Night vigil
Hundreds of supporters of former eThekwini mayor spent the night holding a vigil ahead of her court appearance. Spokesperson for the branches supporting Gumede, Mzomuhle Dube questioned some of the charges against Gumede.
“You should at least have a couple of accounts where you see the money changes hands, in a form of accounts also when you talk about racketeering. I am not sure, I am not that educated to explain that term. But once again when you are referring to corruption you mean you have used your influence to actually favour a particular company but which company amongst those who are actually arrested. I am saying until today there has not been a formal charge that has been presented or a specific charge that seeks to suggest what was her role or their role in the entire process that seeks to summarise them as people who influenced the process.”
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