Durban – It will be another night in custody for the four accused arrested in connection with the Mhlathuze Water tender scandal including director-general in the KwaZulu-Natal premier’s office Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize.
This after their bail application was adjourned in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday.
The other accused are debt collector Siphiwe Mabaso, lawyer Sthembelo Mhlanga and suspended Mhlathuze Water CEO Mthokozisi Duze.
They will spend the night at the Durban Central police station.
Two other accused, Mhlathuze CFO Babongile Mnyandu and Thabiso Khumalo were granted bail on Monday.
They were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) this week in connection with corruption relating to a Mhlatuze Water procurement project in 2018.
Duze, Mhlanga, Khumalo and Mnyandu were charged with fraud and corruption.
In addition, Mkhize, Mabaso, Mhlanga and Duze were charged with intimidation, defeating or obstructing the course of justice and fraud.
Regarding the intimidation and defeating the ends of justice charges, according to the charge sheet, in February the chairperson of the Mhlathuze Water Board, Thabi Shange, was visited by Mabaso who pretended to be a member of Military Intelligence in Durban and asked her about the investigation into the tender issue.
The defence deny Shange was ever intimidated as they argued she willingly gave the forensic report by the auditor-general to Mabaso and that it was returned.
Magistrate Garth Davis adjourned the bail application to Friday to give himself time to go through all the affidavits and new information.
He said he would give a ruling in a brief sitting. He said his reasons for the bail ruling would be made available to the defence and the State.