MUCH to the Magistrate and the defence’s frustration, the matter between former eThekwini Mayor, Zandile Gumede and 17 other accused was postponed for another three months.
Gumede and others are charged with multiple counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to a 2017 Durban Solid Waste tender that cost in excess of R430 million.
The prosecution team was expected to finally present its audit report but lead prosecutor, Ashika Lucken said the report was still not ready.
ALSO READ: Zandile Gumede and co-accused back in court
On 10 September, when the matter was last in court, Magistrate Dawn Soomaroo granted the prosecution a three-month postponement to finalise the audit report.
ALSO READ: WATCH: State’s case against former Durban mayor, co-accused postponed again
During the more than five-hour court sitting, Lucken told the court that certain parts of the report were not yet complete. Lucken asked the court for a further four-month postponement which drew a lot of ire from the defence lawyers.
Jay Naidoo, who is representing Gumede and two other clients in the case, told the court that the charges were negatively affecting his clients’ political careers.
ALSO READ: Wife of eThekwini City Manager also in the dock
The sentiment was also shared by other defence lawyers, arguing that the arrests were premature and have prejudiced their clients’ respective careers.
Soomaroo granted the prosecution team a three-month postponement instead of four.
ALSO READ: State finds more evidence against Gumede and co-accused
The case is set to resume on 23 March 2021 when the prosecution team is expected to submit a discovery of evidence and a full indictment sheet to the court.
There were hundreds of supporters in ANC-clad regalia outside the Magistrate court, with even a stage set up for Gumede to address them.
Nevertheless, after court was adjourned, Gumede followed her party’s orders to not address ANC supporters and left without speaking.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
