Zandile Gumede's R430m tender case adjourned due to lockdown

The high-profile R430m corruption case against former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and her 17 co-accused has been adjourned due to the national Covid-19 lockdown. 

Advocate Jay Naidoo, representing Gumede in the matter, confirmed with TimesLIVE on Wednesday that an arrangement had been made with the state to adjourn the matter to May 7.

Last month eThekwini city manager Sipho Nzuza became the latest accused in the matter implicated alongside Gumede and others regarding a Durban Solid Waste tender, which is alleged to have been irregularly awarded to four companies in 2016, shortly after Gumede took office. 

Nzuza will join an extensive list of others, including the deputy director of supply-chain management at the municipality Sandile Ngcobo, his wife Vuyiswa, who previously held a position at the municipality, and Durban businessmen Mzwandile Dludla, Hlenga Sibisi and Freedom Blose. 

The state alleged that Nzuza had acted in common purpose, colluding with certain service providers to an excess of R100,000.

Nzuza was suspended three weeks after his initial appearance.

The initial amount of irregular expenditure as a result of this tender was set at R208m. This was later changed to R389m. On Tuesday the state once again increased this overall figure to R430m. 

Times Select reported that the charges against Gumede, as well as Mondli Mthembu, the former eThekwini deputy speaker who also chaired the infrastructure committee, pertain to the contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations and the Provisions of the Adjustment of Fines Act.