Durban — Sickness of a witness has caused a delay in the corruption and fraud trial of former mayor Zandile Gumede and city manager Sipho Nzuza of eThekwini municipality and others.
The accused are facing more than 2 000 charges, including conspiracy to commit corruption, corruption, fraud, money laundering, racketeering, contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and contravention of the Municipal Systems Act worth more than R300 million relating to a Durban Solid Waste tender.
State prosecutor advocate Ashika Lucken told the Durban High Court on Tuesday morning the witness who was a municipal official will not be testifying as he is sick.
“My lady, I was informed this morning that the witness is unwell. I will confirm with my learned colleagues in the afternoon if he will be able to come to court tomorrow,” she said.
Lucken asked the court to postpone the matter. Judge Sharmaine Balton agreed and postponed the matter until Wednesday.
Judge Balton asked the State to bring another witness who will not take a lot of time tomorrow if the official who was supposed to testify on Tuesday could not on Wednesday.
Gumede said she was not pleased that the case had to be postponed again today. She said since the trial began all the witnesses become sick when they should be bringing evidence.
“This witness said he was going to be bringing the minutes of the meetings of the BAC (Bid Adjudication Committee) that we as politicians are not part of, to give them to the State now he is sick. We will be patient because we have to respect the law,” said Gumede.
Previously the municipal official who was on the stand told the court that he was under pressure to sign and process invoices of the contractors, who were collecting waste around the City. He said the contractors were constantly at the municipality offices to ensure that their invoices were signed and processed.
Moreover, he said the employees of the contractors blocked the workers from entering municipal offices.
He told the court the contracts were for six months but by the third month the funds to pay them were depleted as they claimed huge amounts of money.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News