Durban — Former eThekwini Municipality mayor Zandile Gumede and 21 others charged with racketeering, fraud and corruption relating to a R320 million waste contract all pleaded not guilty to count one, racketeering, in the Durban High Court on Monday.
According to the State, the accused in this matter are an array of eThekwini municipal officials (current and past), ward councillors, business people and their companies.
The State alleges that eThekwini officials, including the city manager and ex-mayor, circumvented the supply chain management (SCM) processes on a Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender for the benefit of identified service providers for over R300 million.
They face charges of conspiracy to commit corruption, corruption, fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act, among others.
Previously in the matter, Advocate Carl van der Merwe withdrew his services for Bongani Dlomo, Khoboso Dlomo, and their company Omphile Thabang Projects as there were no funds to pay him.
At the time, it emerged in court that Legal Aid had received a call with regards to the issue of legal representation for the two and that time was needed to process the application.
However, on the last occasion in court Mlamli Magigaba presented himself on the record as the private attorney of accused 15,16 and 17.
The matter was adjourned to today (Monday) for a plea.
State prosecutor Ashika Lucken began reading out the charges against the accused, and with over 2 000 counts, it is expected that the matter will continue well into the afternoon.
Lucken had read out count one, which all the accused are charged with, as well as count two, which relates to managing the racketeering enterprise that only applies to accused one to five, these being Gumede, Mondli Mthembu, Sipho Nzuza, Robert Abbu and Sandile Ngcobo.
Daily News