Durban - A dramatic sting operation ordered by eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede this week has led to the arrest of an employee who was caught red-handed selling jobs at the municipality for cash.
According to sources involved in the sting, the operation followed a complaint to Gumede by a group of six job applicants who said they were asked by the official to pay R5 000 each to secure jobs in the city’s water unit.
“The official guaranteed the applicants they would get the jobs and asked for 50 percent payment up front and the rest once they received formal letters of employment from the city’s water unit, where the positions were available.
After the group approached the mayor with this information, she ordered a crackdown and brought in the city’s ombudsman’s office, the metro police elite unit and integrity and investigations unit in a joint operation to nab the individual.
“We arranged for the group of job applicants to hand the cash, a total of R15 000, to the official, who asked to meet them outside the offices of eThekwini.
“We lay in wait and once the money exchanged hands, we swooped and made our arrest,” said the source.
In a recorded telephone conversation prior to the sting - heard by the Sunday Tribune - between one of the applicants and the official accused of soliciting a bribe, the official offered a “money-back guarantee” if the applicants did not get the jobs.
He goes on to boast about having worked in the city’s parks and recreational unit for 17 years and added he had been “doing this for a long time” - the R15 000 he received from the group would be used to pay other people in the municipality as part of a jobs-for-cash network.
In a further attempt to impress the applicant, the official claimed he knew everyone within the municipality, given his long service there, and said they should not worry as he would get them the jobs.
Approached for comment, Gumede confirmed the sting operation and warned more arrests were imminent as the city investigated the trail of employees who worked with the official to offer jobs for cash.
“We are serious when we say we are cracking down on corruption. Whether you are an ordinary employee, a senior manager or a deployed cadre does not matter. If you are found to be doing anything that brings our municipality into disrepute we will take action,” said Gumede.
“We must thank the honest individuals who came forward with this information and refused to be a party to this official’s corruption. By working together, we can flush out elements who are denying opportunities and jobs to those who deserve them.
“Those who hold our city to ransom by using their positions to buy favours must be exposed. We want them to know we are going to lift the lid on their actions. We are not here to protect the corrupt.
“Through the joint efforts of our metro police elite unit, city integrity and investigations unit and the office of our ombudsman, we were able to nab this corrupt individual,
“So let it be a message to anyone who thinks we are not serious about ending corruption,” she said.
Next month Gumede marks her first 100 days in office as the newly elected mayor.
Both the DA and the IFP have welcomed Gumede’s actions, saying it showed she was serious about ending corruption.
“This must be followed up with action on other fronts, such as allegations of councillors selling RDP (Reconstruction and Development Programme) houses,” said eThekwini DA executive committee member Heinz de Boer.
“It’s good to finally see these perpetrators brought to book - we appreciate the mayor for doing that,” said IFP executive committee member Mdu Nkosi.
The arrested official is out on bail of R1 000 and is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court next month on charges of corruption.
Sunday Tribune