Zandile Gumede must 'pay back the money', EFF tells KZN legislature

eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede must "pay back the money".

That's the word from EFF KwaZulu-Natal leader Vusi Khoza, who addressed a sitting in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature on Thursday morning ahead of premier Sihle Zikalala's budget speech. 

"The EFF notes that it is almost two months since the mayor of eThekwini, Zandile Gumede, was forced to take a leave of absence, also noting that the said leave comes as a result of the mayor facing serious charges of corruption and money laundering."

He said the eThekwini municipality was "on the brink of collapse and cannot afford to pay any more money to someone who is not working".

"So this house resolves the following: to call upon the MEC of Cogta and the premier [to] ensure that the rule of no work, no pay is applied in this case. That whatever money that has been paid to the mayor, that she be called upon to pay back the money."

Gumede is facing charges of fraud and corruption relating to a R208m Durban Solid Waste tender awarded in 2016 - in which 62 other councillors have also been implicated. 

In June, the party's provincial executive committee (PEC) in KZN resolved that Gumede should step down for 30 days to allow the governing party time to finalise processes of an internal investigation into the allegations she was facing.

She was due back at work on July 10, however the ANC said that the investigation into the allegations was incomplete and that she would return only once this was finalised.

Gumede and her co-accused will appear in court in August.

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