Zandile Gumede in court for possibly violating bail conditions

Former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede is due in court for a possible violation of her bail conditions, eNCA reports.

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

They were arrested for allegedly colluding 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 Durban Solid Waster (DSW) contracts.

As a result of being awarded the unlawful contracts, four corporate entities were paid over R230 million by February 2019.

Gumede’s Amaoti home and luxury cars from her co-accused in the tender scandal were among the assets seized by the Hawks together with the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Thursday.

Gumede told eNCA that the raid made her distraught.

“It’s painful but what can we do?” Gumede said.

She said all she could do was comply with authorities but added that the raid was painful because she had not been told about it and it occurred while she was sleeping.

The former mayor said she did not have any Lamborghini or Porsche car, adding that she only had an old Prado and a van.

She said she was as poor as a church mouse and that the Hawks had seized nothing.

Gumede maintained that she was innocent.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu. Background reporting, News24 Wire.)

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