Staff reporter
eThekhwini Mayor Zandile Gumede has handed herself over to the Hawks and appeared in the Durban Commercial Crime Court on Tuesday on charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering.
Bail of R50,000 has been granted to Gumede.
Gumede appeared in court alongside senior municipal councillor Mondli Mthembu.
The charges relate to a dodgy R208-million tender within the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) department that earlier this month saw nine people arrested including DSW deputy head, Robert Abbu, and the City’s supply chain manager, Sandile Ngcobo – for fraud relating to the same tender.
They have already appeared before the commercial crimes court. The other accused in the matter were service providers.
Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), said three suspects will appear at the Durban Specialised Commercial Court on Tuesday as part the Hawks’ National Clean Audit Task Team (NCATT) investigation at the Ethekwini Municipality.
“The three will face the same charges as the other nine suspects who were arrested two weeks ago on allegations of fraud and corruption in relation to a 2016 R208-million Durban Solid Waste tender, where service providers were allegedly paid huge amounts of monies even though they did not render any service,” he said.
According to a report in City Press, a police task team has been formed to investigate scores of other ward councillors in the City and is expected to conclude several corruption-related cases against them.
In December, City Press reported that Gumede, a staunch ally of former president Jacob Zuma, faced imminent arrest after a lengthy Hawks investigation into allegations of fraud, money laundering and corruption.
Gumede has denied the allegations.
