Durban — The Durban High Court on Tuesday was told that a company by Zithulele Mkhize accused 13, UzuzinekeleTrading 31 C, claimed R9.3 million for collecting waste in one month, in the money laundering and fraud trial.
The trial has 22 accused including former mayor of eThekwini Zandile Gumede, and former city manager Sipho Nzuza. They are accused of conspiracy to commit corruption, corruption, fraud, money laundering, racketeering, contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and contravention of the Municipal Systems Act worth more than R300m relating to a Durban Solid Waste tender.
A former municipal official who is a witness in this matter told the court that he was sent an email by an official in the municipality that the company had to be paid R9.3m for the month of January 2019. He said the amount had to be paid on February 8, 2019, or by February 11, 2019, latest.
Moreover, the witness, who we cannot name for safety reasons, told the court that he signed about 17 invoices for this company. Before he fell ill in the previous session of this trial, he had told the court that the contractors who were collecting waste around the city claimed huge amounts of money within the first month of work and he was concerned that by the time they reached the sixth month, the budget would be depleted. The witness had said the contracts were for six months.
He said by the time they reached the third month the funds to pay contractors were depleted.
The witness further said the situation was volatile as the contractors came to the municipal offices to demand their invoices be processed.
Furthermore, the witness said because of how things were, he decided to go on leave from April 2018 to July 2018. He said when he came back there was a budget allocated for the contractors. He said when he heard that the executive committee in the city had approved the additional funds there was nothing he could do. He said the additional funds were R130m. When State prosecutor advocate Ashika Lucken asked him if he knew where the money came from, he said he had no idea.
Moreover, this witness had previously told the court that he was not involved during the process of awarding the tender to the contractors for waste management but accused number four, Allan Robert Abbu, who was the deputy head of Durban Solid Waste (DSW), was. He also said that Abbu was not available when he had to sign the invoices and he had to sign them.
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Daily News