Application for a warrant of arrest for Gumede rejected by the court

Durban Magistrate Dawn Soomaroo has rejected an application for a warrant of arrest of former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede.

Gumede appeared in court on Friday after the Hawks accused her of violating her bail conditions due to her failure to inform the police that she had moved from the Umhlanga house that was raided yesterday, and which was listed in her bail application as her home address.

The SABC reported that Magistrate Soomaroo said Gumede was not a flight risk.

Gumede’s home was raided on Thursday by the Hawks and Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU).

The raid saw the Hawks and AFU raid ten homes, seeking assets to the value of approximately R51 million from various of the accused in the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) scandal.

Gumede, along with other members of the eThekwini municipality, stands accused of having colluded with corporate entities and others to circumvent the outcome of the supply chain management protocols of the municipality, in favour of the award of new DSW contracts, which led to four corporate entities getting paid over R230 million by February 2019.

Gumede posted bail of R50,000 following her arrest together with councillor Mondli Mthembu, Sandile Ngcobo, and Robert Abbu.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu.)

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