Zandile Gumede's corruption trial resumes at Durban High Court
Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and 21 others face multiple counts of fraud, racketeering, corruption, money laundering, contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act, relating to the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender of more than R320 million.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo
The corruption trial of the former mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, Zandile Gumede, is set to resume at the Durban High Court on Monday morning-Gumede is charged with 21 others, including former City manager of eThekwini, Sipho Nzuza.
The accused face multiple counts of fraud, racketeering, corruption, money laundering, contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act, relating to the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender of more than R320 million.
When the last session of the trial ended in June, the case faced delays due to Bagcinile Cynthia, the wife of Sipho Nzuza, falling ill.
Prior to this, the State was leading evidence through a new witness and had to seek audit reports regarding household numbers that needed to be serviced in the 2016/17 financial year.
This came after Gumede’s counsel, advocate Jay Naidoo SC, objected while the witness, who cannot be named, was leading evidence.
Naidoo stated they would like to access the reports to ensure they were consistent with the witness's oral evidence.
The witness had told the court that in a report submitted to the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) on December 19, 2017, the number of formal and informal households that needed to be serviced was doubled, while some had been tripled.