Durban - EThekwini Municipality has moved to reassure the public that they will work with the Hawks following the arrests of four councillors and eight other officials on Wednesday.
“We are on record as saying that under no circumstances shall we impede law enforcement agencies and institutions tasked with dispensing justice to do their noble work. We are therefore reiterating our stance in that where there is suspicion of unlawful conduct, we will cooperate with these institutions without fail,” said city spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela.
He said service delivery to residents will not be affected.
Meanwhile, the arrests have been welcomed by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA).
The organisation’s provincial manager, Tim Tyrrell, said the latest series of arrests must be dealt with swiftly by the criminal justice system if the country is serious about uprooting corruption and malfeasance
“Citizens have a massive trust deficit with regards to the criminal justice system as too often high-ranking politicians escape serious censure for their involvement in serious financial crimes while junior or mid-level bureaucrats take the fall,” he said.
The Democratic Alliance’s Nicole Graham said the arrests was good progress but it’s a drop in the ocean considering how much corruption exists.
According to Hawks national spokesperson, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, four eThekwini Municipality councillors, municipal officials and community based contractors are due to make their first appearance in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday.
He said the group was apprehended following Clean Audit Task Team (CATT) investigation for allegedly receiving gratifications, money laundering and contravention of the Municipal Finance Act and Municipal System Act.
“The four councillors and the three contractors are implicated in the R208m Durban Solid Waste tender scandal. The recent arrests brings to 22 the number of people implicated and arrested thus far. Investigations are still ongoing,” he said.