zandile gumede duduzane zuma

Zandile Gumede during her inauguration of eThekwini Mayor at the Durban City Hall on 23 August 2016 in Durban, South Africa. Photo: Gallo Images/The Times/Jackie Clausen

Corruption Latest: Hawks arrest city councillors for tender fraud

eThekwini Municipality’s house of cards is tumbling as three more officials face corruption charges related to R400 million tender fraud.

zandile gumede duduzane zuma

Zandile Gumede during her inauguration of eThekwini Mayor at the Durban City Hall on 23 August 2016 in Durban, South Africa. Photo: Gallo Images/The Times/Jackie Clausen

The Hawks have swooped on another three eThekwini Municipality ANC ward councillors who have been arrested for a slew of corruption charges in connection with the alleged R400 million Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender fraud saga.

Councillors Mthokozisi Nojiyeza, Bhekokwakhe Phewa and Sduduzo Khuzwayo appeared in the specialised Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday facing several charges, including counts of corruption and money laundering, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Sipho Ngwenya confirmed this morning. The charges are in relation to the drawn out tender fraud case involving the city’s former major Zandile Gumede and former city manager Sipho Nzuza and several other former city officials.

Ngwenya confirmed that the three councillors had been joined to the corruption case and were facing a slew of charges as follows:

  • Eight counts of corruption for contravention of section 119 of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000.
  • Four counts of corruption for contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca).
  • Ten counts of money laundering for contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
  • Contravention of Section 21 of Precca

The suspects were granted R15 000 bail each and will join Gumede, Nzuza, Mondli Mthembu and the other accused former officials when they return to court on 23 March. 

Democractic Alliance (DA) caucus leader for eThekwini Nicole Graham welcomed the latest arrests in the corruption case.

“When Gumede was first arrested, court documents referenced that 61 councillors were allegedly involved in the scheme to defraud DSW. Four more ANC councillors were arrested in December of 2019. One has since passed away. This means 54 unnamed Councillors are still untouched,” Graham said.

“The ANC has stubbornly refused – both in council and internally- to investigate the hugely serious claim that over half of its councillors in eThekwini were seemingly breaking the law. Formal requests to the speaker to initiate an investigation fell on deaf ears, but the Hawks have apparently not given up,” Graham said.

“Information reliably provided to the DA indicates that more ANC councillors could soon be in handcuffs.  The time for action is now. All of Gumede’s allies who filled their pockets at the public’s expense must be held to account. If you enter public office to steal from people, you should be lined up, locked up and kept there for a very long time,” Graham said.