Durban solid waste

juridical concept with hammer and lawbook, selective focus on metal part,toned f/x. Photo: Flickr/Paul and Kami McGuire

Durban Solid Waste tender: City manager’s wife arrested, released on bail

Bagcinele Cynthia Nzuza appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday regarding the Durban Solid Waste tender scandal.

Durban solid waste

juridical concept with hammer and lawbook, selective focus on metal part,toned f/x. Photo: Flickr/Paul and Kami McGuire

The Hawks have confirmed the arrest of the seventeenth suspect in the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender scandal. Bagcinele Cynthia Nzuza, 51, appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday 1 December on a charge of corruption. 

Mrs Nzuza is wife to Mr Sipho Nzuza, the City Manager of the EThekwini Municipality, allegedly facilitated the fitting of a build-in kitchen at her mother-in-law’s house and one of the Service Providers implicated in the multi-million rand Durban Solid Waste tender allegedly paid R18 000 for the fitting. 

DURBAN SOLID WASTE TENDER: ARRESTED AND RELEASED ON R30 000 BAIL 

Mrs Nzuza’s arrest on Tuesday marks the seventeenth suspect charged in the main case where her husband Mr Nzuza is also among the suspects. 

“Mr Nzuza who is out on R50 000 bail, was arrested on the 10 March 2020 by the Hawks National Clean Audit Task Team, on allegations of fraud and corruption amounting to the loss of millions of rands within eThekwini Municipality,” said Colonel Katlego Mogale.  

According to the African News Agency, the court heard that Nzuza extended Durban Solid Waste tenders even though he was aware that they were irregular and that funds were depleted. This was alleged to have taken place in 2018 when Zandile Gumede was still eThekwini mayor. 

Earlier this year Gumede was sworn into the KZN legislature despite claims of fraud and corruption. The Democratic Alliance (DA) called it a “slap in the face”.

The case against Mrs Nzuza was postponed to 10 December 2020, while she was released on R30 000 bail regarding the Durban Solid Waste tender scandal. 

R5 MILLION CORRUPTION, FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING

In other news, Johannes Lodewykus Kruger, 60, Rudolph Kemp, 47, Goerge Wheeler, 60 and Johannes Van Heerden, 51, made a brief appearance at Douglas Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for corruption, fraud and money laundering.

It is alleged that between the years 2014 to 2016, the four suspects from Griekwaland Wes Koperatief Beperk (GWK) colluded with an employee from AG Equipment Direct LLC (AG) and inflated prices when quoting for equipment.

“An investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team established that the suspects defrauded GWK an estimated amount of R5 million and it was shared amongst the suspects,” said Nomthandazo Mnisi. 

The suspects were served with summons on Friday 6 November 2020. The court has since released them on a warning and they are expected back at court on Tuesday 6 April 2021.