eThekwini city manager stripped of authority to sign off tenders

eThekwini Municipality city manager Sipho Nzuza has been stripped of his power to sign off any tenders as he faces charges of fraud and corruption.

Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said DA members questioned whether Nzuza remaining as city manager was not a contravention of his bail conditions at an executive council meeting on Tuesday.

Kaunda said Nzuza had officially delegated all his signing powers to deputy city manager Sipho Cele.

“I have no issue with the delegation of his signing powers. He won’t breach his bail conditions because if he does he would be compromising himself,” said Kaunda.

Nzuza is out on R50 000 bail after being charged with fraud and corruption in connection with the irregular 2017 Durban Solid Waste contract of more than R430 million.

Nzuza’s bail conditions state he should not get involved in any supply chain management and tender processes.

One of the city manager’s job functions is to sign off on all tenders, but Kaunda said this function had now been delegated to Cele.

DA caucus leader Nicole Graham said it was unacceptable that the delegation was done by Nzuza instead of the council.

“With respect, we don’t know the relationship between Cele and Nzuza and whether they meet behind the scenes and there is undue influence,” said Graham. “This brings into question all kinds of issues.”

Cele was acting city manager while Nzuza was suspended.

Nzuza did not comment and said a public meeting was not the “right platform” to discuss details of his bail conditions.

Kaunda suggested to Graham that there was no way to perform oversight even if Nzuza and Cele were meeting in private.

“I know Cele to be a professional, ethical person who is very observant and has a high level of commitment and discipline. He’s not the sort of of individual who can be pressured,” said Kaunda.

At the meeting councillors voted for an item recommending the city manager be given the power to “investigate” any supply chain management violations regarding tenders that were awarded for the month of July 2020.

The council introduced an amendment to the wording replacing the words city manager with financial officer.

Kaunda said this would be applied across all items. In an impassioned complaint towards the end of the meeting, Nzuza complained the constant amendments were “crippling” him from doing his job.

“It should not get to the point where I am useless in the municipality,” he said.

Kaunda responded by saying this was the first time eThekwini had a city manager still working while under investigation.

Nzuza is expected back in court with 16 other accused on 10 December.

This article first appeared on Berea Mail and was republished with permission.

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