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

DSW Tender Corruption: Former officials now face more than 100 charges

Former Durban major and 21 co-accused appeared in the Durban Magistrates Court today to face charges related to a DSW tender corruption case.

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

Former Durban mayor Zandile Gumede and more than a dozen co-accused, including ANC councillors, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court facing corruption charges related to a R320 million DSW tender corruption case.

Regional National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said state advocate Ashika Lucken had on Tuesday presented the court with the lengthy indictment against the 22 suspects. The document, around 300 pages long, follows the arrest of Gumede in April 2019 and numerous subsequent court appearances over the past two years.

Gumede and her co-accused are collectively facing more than 100 charges ranging from corruption to money laundering in connection with the DSW tender case. 

The value of the DSW tender, which was issue in 2017, has been adjusted down to R320 million, excluding VAT.

Listed among the accused in the indictment are suspended eThekwini city manager, Sipho Nzuza, former supply chain manager, Sandile Ngcobo, senior ANC councillor, Mondli Mthembu and senior eThekwini Municipality official, Robert Abbu.

According to the indictment the state alleges that certain of the suspects “collective conduct resulted in a complete disregard of the law…which caused the unlawful and irregular expenditure.”

“They had engaged with each other in numerous cellular communication before, during and after the period of the said DSW contract”.

The indictment alleges that “acting in concert with each other and with persons known and unknown to the state in furtherance of a common purpose did unlawfully and intentionally steal” the sum of R320 955 973,33.

The state alleged that the accused had circumvented the lawful supply chain management process of DSW  to “cause the irregular award” of the tender to several businesses to “provide the service for refuse collection; street cleaning and illegal dumping for various townships” within the municipality.

The matter was  transferred to the Durban High Court and postponed to June 14 for a pre-trial conference. Bail was extended.