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By Sihle Mavuso 
7h ago
Durban – The state has thwarted former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s attempt to have his corruption case dropped.
On Thursday, Gumede and 16 others were in Durban’s commercial crimes court to face charges related to a R430 million waste tender issued by the municipality of eThekwini in 2017 while she was mayor. The State alleges that the tender was manipulated, Gumede participated and supposedly pocketed some economic benefits.
During the hearing, the State, through the prosecutor Ashiken Lucken, who is leading his team in the case, told the court that its investigation had been done.
However, he said they wanted at least three months to finalize a forensic audit report.
Lucken told Magistrate Dawn Somaroo that they had taken statements from 450 witnesses and would likely bring the interviewees as their witnesses when the matter got underway.
After heated discussions between the state and defense attorneys, Somaroo ruled that the matter would be postponed until December 10, 2020.
But it also ruled that the State, if it is not ready with the report by that time, must inform all defense attorneys and give the reasons why it did not complete the report. The explanation should be given to the defense, who can use it as the basis for the case to be dropped when it returns to court in December.
Political Bureau
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